Better Pay Attention!
Too Close For Comfort
Sometimes important lessons lurk in the most innocuous places, y’know?
Take a look at this photo, for instance. Don’t worry; no marauding alligators lurking in here this time! Nope, this time it’s just a… (sound of terrified scream) spice rack.
Let’s see… ya got your ground cinnamon, a large can of sea salt, one of those rectangular cans of nutmeg, a little tiny (yet somehow, ridiculously expensive) bottle of vanilla extract…
But here’s the deal. Right next to the ground cinnamon on the top rack there’s a bottle of chili powder. Anyone see the danger? I mean, it’s a bottle of cinnamon (ooh, sweet!) right next to an almost-identical bottle of (aack!) chili powder!
Can you say “catastrophe”?
They Say It’s the Thought That Counts
Let’s say, as a surprise for my beloved Mrs. MZM, I decided to make a nice, hot batch of chocolate-chip cookies. (Unfortunately, thanks to the diet we’re on, this is only an imaginary scenario. *sigh*) Now I ask you; what’s the absolute best thing to top a big ol’ plate of fresh-baked cookies? You guessed it – a light dusting of ground cinnamon! (I’m tellin’ ya, folks – even as I write this, my tummy is doin’ somersaults!)
But lemme ask ya: What if I were to accidentally grab the chili powder instead of the cinnamon? Hey, it’s not so far-fetched – they’re right there next to each other, y’know? Can you picture the potential for disaster?
An Evening Filled With Promise
Now, imagine the Mrs. and I are parked on the bear skin rug in front of the fireplace for a nice, romantic evening. (By the way, we don’t actually have a bear skin rug. But it makes a nice scene, don’cha think? Besides, I don’t think I could stand having the thing stare at me accusingly, y’know?)
Anyhoo – the lights are low; there’s a candle or two lit for ambiance. A couple of glasses of chilled sparkling water fizz quietly on the table, their gently rising bubbles catching the candlelight provocatively. The sweet sounds of gentle jazz on the sound system soothes the day’s stress away.
Now for a final surprise, I bring out my just-baked batch of cookies for that little extra “somethin’special”. Mrs. MZM’s eyes light up in delight at the unexpected treat. She smiles delightedly as she reaches for a still-warm golden delight and gently places it upon her tongue.
- then her eyes grow wide in shock as she begins to violently choke! Do ya think the accidental use of chili powder instead of cinnamon might, well, ruin the mood? Yup; pretty much like that iceberg sank the Titanic!
Pay Attention!
Anyhoo – my point is, there’s little surprises like this one all over the place. I mean, life if full of ‘em, y’know? So what’s a body to do? Hey, there’s actually a pretty simple solution: you just gotta pay attention.
How many times have you suddenly discovered you’ve been on autopilot for the last 10 minutes while your brain took a short holiday and wandered around on its own? It usually happens when you’re doing something you’ve done a thousand times before, like driving to work, or watching the weather. (Here’s a typical conversation at our house immediately after the weather forecast: “Dear, what did he say the weather was going to be like tomorrow?” “I don’t know, Honey, my mind wandered off for a minute and I missed it.”)
So consider this a friendly little reminder, y’all! Pay attention to the stuff around you – especially the small stuff! Hey, you never know when a seemingly insignificant detail could make a really, really BIG difference! Just sayin’.
What About YOU?
So when was the last time you narrowly avoided a disaster of epic proportions by noticing a seeming “small” detail? What was it, and how did you manage to catch yourself before something, um, undesired happened? Did you learn anything from it?
Enquiring minds want to know!
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Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
Robert, lol, I’m a fan of hot and spicy but not on cookies!
I have arrived at a destination and realized I was on auto pilot for the entire journey. It’s a little scary when you realize you were operating a motor vehicle and were not fully attentive. There are so many things we miss because we’re not fully tuned in to what’s going on around us. Our brains seem to take the familiar for granted, well mine often does. Thanks for the reminder to tune in and pay attention.
.-= Karen Swim´s last blog ..Creepy Strangers and Bad Sales Tactics =-.
Having just recently been surprised by a batch of jalapeno chocolate caramels (created purposefully by a friend) that were actually quite tasty I’m thinking you might be onto the next tex-mex craze here Robert. Although the cinnamon does sound a tad better. As you say small details do count when courting disaster. This is a small thing, but I poorly labeled the two types of gas on hand for snow blower and lawn mower. When there’s six inches and rising my thoughts are more on getting the drive cleared than gas additives and only thought to check after the pour as to whether I made the right choice. I’m not exactly sure what a snow blower does if it doesn’t have the right dosage, but during a blizzard is not the right time to find out.
.-= Fred H Schlegel´s last blog ..The Power Of “What Can I Do?” and Puppies Behind Bars =-.
@Karen – Although I’ve heard of some pretty unusual recipes lately, I’d sure hate to sneak one in on Mrs. MZM when she wasn’t expecting it! At least, I don’t THINK I’m stupid…
Hey, you’re welcome for the comment, Karen! A tip o’ the hat to ya!
@Fred – Well, that may be somethin’ for the “hot and spicy” crowd (like Karen Swim), but not for me, Bubba!
I think you’re right on the snow blower thing there – and when you need it AIN’T the time to figure it out, for sure! Needless to say, the two spice bottles are now on different shelves!
This must not be a local phenomenon, as we too have the chili powder next to the cinnamon. might be something about alphabetizing your spice rack….
I find myself on autopilot when leaving the carport and driving away, as 90% of the time, we turn right. Sometimes I forget that I actually have to go North….
.-= Matches Malone´s last blog ..4th Person Plural =-.
[...] http://middlezonemusings.com/better-pay-attention/Now, imagine the Mrs. and I are parked on the bear skin rug in front of the fireplace for a nice, romantic evening. (By the way, we don’t actually have a bear skin rug. But it makes a nice scene, don’cha think? … [...]
@Malone – Yeah, I do that too: drive a certain way out of our subdivision so many times, I often miss the turnoff if I’m going somewhere else! Sheesh…
Nice instance and good moral!
We often do not stay tuned to things which can make a big difference in life. Paying attention is really important for every peeps who does not want to miss out things and not repent later. Well, i do understand that being humans, mind-wandering does take place but “brakes” should be put on by developing the habit of “paying attention”
Thanks for knocking everyone’s mind for good Robert
@Valdez – You said it well, Bubba! Paying attention is one of those simple little things that, if we forget to do it, could completely change EVERYTHING, y’know?
Hey, a tip o’ the hat to ya, Valdez, for dropping by and commenting. Y’all come back, y’hear?
[...] http://middlezonemusings.com/better-pay-attention/Now, imagine the Mrs. and I are parked on the bear skin rug in front of the fireplace for a nice, romantic evening. (By the way, we don’t actually have a bear skin rug. But it makes a nice scene, don’cha think? … [...]
Robert, my granny used to make cinnamon cookies mixed with chili powder, when she’s still alive. Trust me, the taste is totally a disaster, but I have no choice to say, “Good” in front of her!
Honestly, I’m type of very sensitive person and I can sense it, before something is turning out into a kiosk. In order to avoid it, I usually give warning to my friends, and it depends on them, whether they want to take my advices or not…
@Wilson – Really? Oh, my! Imagine trying to eat those with a smile on your face…
Nice cathc, I could easily make the mistake. I probably woudn’t make cookies since my cooking skils don’t even cover that but I would surely be surprised. I usually take wrong turns on the street when my mind wanders, I wish I could stop doing that, at least in the car..
@Klima – Yeah, that’s a problem with a lotta folks; I do it myself.
[...] @RobertHruzek: Better Pay Attention [...]
Mmm…. Another one:
Placing sugar next to salt is not a good idea. Especially if both of them are in the same type of glass pot.
he he he… salty cookies …
@Algernon – Um, yeah, that could certainly blow your taste buds out!
if we pay too much attentin to the detail,we may be called “perfect seeker”,but sometimes ,we need to pay attention to the detail small thing.it might be pricessless in some emergency.