On Friday night, I went over to Circuit City's pseudo sale, and got a great deal on a new laptop. So, yesterday, I decide to hit up my local wifi spot, and blog. This would be my first time blogging away from home.
I read that I could connect to all AT&T hotspots because I have AT&T DSL at home. So I hit up Barnes & Noble's cafe. Well, after about 15 minutes, I gave up on that. It wouldn't accept my login and password. Ok fine!
Those that know me, know that I always have a backup. So I went to Plan B and connected using my trusty friend, Blackberry. My Blackberry Bold can serve as a modem, and be used as the phone at the same time. How cool is that?
Anyway, I didn't like the blogging in public. There was too much commotion going on. The noise from the espresso machines, folks chattering, babies crying. I sit beside a huge wall of windows that looked out onto the parking lot, and even that was distracting. I saw some woman take off her shirt and put on another one in full view of everyone. It was not pretty. My creative juices were stifled. Besides that, their was nothing on the menu that interested me. And for there to be NOTHING on a food menu of interest to me is really saying something.
Nevertheless, there were many folks there studying, and looking very busy on their laptops. Did they just tune the noise out? Did they start off like me and then get used to it? How are they able to concentrate with strangers walking to and fro? I guess it's meant for me to blog from the comfort of my own home. Apparently, I need a controlled environment.
Your comments--priceless!
I can concentrate with several distractors, but that is the nature of my work environment, unfortunately, it can slow me down. I learned early on with 3 brothers and a sister how to tune people out and cocoon myself in my own little world. I could sit and get deep in a book and tune any and everything else around me out. I think that I have the ability to see people without really noticing them. I can walk right by people who I know and if I have several things going on I dont see them. They tell me later they spoke and I kept going, and I have to apologize, and explain I honestly didn't hear or notice you. I don't intentionally mean to be rude.
I learned as a little girl that I am able to tune out people and things goin on pretty effectively. Growing up with a house full of people, I never had much privacy, and since I was a quiet child, and loved silence, I would just mentally shut out the outside world with my mind. It is something that I have carried with me since. I prefer not to be in public computing, but if circumstances call for it, I probably could do so and concentrate on the task at hand.
You're so funny, J.
I can read in coffee shops with no problem. I have taken my laptop to one and attempted to chat with y'all, but you all all really too funny for public enjoyment, and I felt like people were watching me giggle.
I haven't tried to do any actual WORK out in public on a laptop, however, I used to be able to study in noisy places.
When I had my condo on the market, I would often have to leave the house for viewing and/or open houses. I would tried bringing the laptop to Starbucks to get some real work done. I could deal with the coffee makers, backround music and customer chatter. My main distraction would often come from people talking loudly on their cellphones. I've learned lots of personal information via loud cell phone conversations at the Starbucks. I gave up doing real work and would just play computer games while in exile.
J, you are so resouceful! I need to mosy on over to Circuit City myself and take advantage of their going out of Business sales. I would think you would be more comforatable blogging at home, until you really blow up...then the fans will want to see you out amongst them!! Love you girl!!FOJ 4 Life!!