Are You Too Busy To Be Interesting?

Geesh. I’ve had a cracker of week. My eldest is getting MARRIED very very soon. I’ve got lots of things to do to. Lots of extra stuff to tackle, as well as the usual run of the mill kinda things. I’m kinda handling it, colour coding  a very extensive spreadsheet like a boss. Taking deep breaths. Screaming  silently into my pillow when things get too much. Kinda keeping it together. And yet, I wonder.

For instance, tonight we headed to the wedding venue for the first of two rehearsals (this one was for band practice!)  It was super nice to be sitting in the car, with nothing to do except look out the window and watch the fences and footpath whizz by.  We had the radio on, and a panel were talking about a conspiracy theory relating to the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.  The theory goes that Fight Club was totally inspired by the aforementioned John Hughes classic.  Hmm.  I wonder! Who knew?  I have never heard that story before. You can read more here.  But that’s not why I’m writing this. (‘Who has a spare plectrum? Where are the lyrics to the first song?’)

Yesterday, as I printed seals (not the arf arf kind!) for the wedding favours, I sneakily checked MyTVR to see what I should record and half-watch later on my computer/iPad/telly.  The AACTA Awards? What? It seems the AFI Awards have been renamed, re-badged, relaunched, reinvented.  They were on today!  Cate Blanchett looked amazing.  (I’m watching them as I type this post! There is a lady holding a Samsung Galaxy very close to her ample bosom! The camera man can’t seem to pan away!) Hm.  I had never heard of the AACTA Awards until my sneaky click about. I quite liked the AFIs.  Why did they change it up, I wonder? But that’s not why I’m writing this. (‘Flipping heck. The ink has run out! Can someone go to Officeworks while I shade this spreadsheet cell magenta? Did you order forks? Who is picking up the trestle tables?’)

Then, this morning, as I googled the glass hire place to double check the price of flutes one last time, I lazily opened a window to NPR and found out that Paul McCartney has a new album called Kisses On The Bottom. Um.  I kind of wish I didn’t, but NPR is such a great site and I check it often for updates on things that are fresh and worth a look or listen.  Kisses On The Bottom? Are you kidding me Mac?  What’s with the title, I wonder? Hm. But that’s not why I’m writing this.( ‘Flutes are 70c EACH? OMG. Will we have bunting? Did you remember the ice?’)

Here’s the thing. If I meet you at a dinner party, I want to be able to tell you about the Fight-Club-Ferris-Thing.  I want to impress you with my knowledge of Claudia Karvan’s Dolce e Gabbana gown.  I want to make your eyes pop when I tell you about the bottom kissing Beatle.  I really DO want to do those things.  I want to be interesting.

The problem is that I am BUSY.  I am grasping at interesting with desperation. I can see those glittering straws of super cleverness just out of reach, on the other side of this pile of Final Notices. I want to grab the sparkly straws and share them about, but I seem to have my arms elbow deep in dirty dishwater. Or else they are occupied sticking cute labels, swiping credit cards at wedding suppliers, wondering about the cake buffet or picking up not-so-weddingy dog poo.

I really DO want to read Wallpaper Magazine, TIME and Vanity Fair. I want to catch up on Huff Post. Or Frankie. Or Elle Deco. Or The Guardian.  But I only seem to be catching my breath as I try to bloody well get stuff done. Humph.

I want to watch Four Corners, Misfits, Homeland, the David Tennant BBC Wildlife Documentaries, Mildred Pierce and the new George Clooney film.  But I’m only managing to watch that punchbowl on eBay that has  a crazy low starting price of 92c and would be perfect for the Wedding Sangria.

I want to listen to the new albums by The Black Keys, Lana Del Ray, First Aid Kit, Leonard Cohen. But in reality I’m listening to the man from Duncan’s Liquor tell me that delivery from Richmond to Preston is not worth his while.

I want to understand Miranda July, Spanish, what happened to the economy, how to make apps for Facebook and how to grow tomatoes which bear fruit before Australia Day.  But I can barely understand the pre-wedding events Google calendar and how to make it show up on my iPhone like my other ones do.

Hmm.  Is this you, too? Are you full of promise and potential? Are you a smart person in the guise of a task heavy maniac?  Are you wanting to read, watch, listen and understand important things while you’re stuck reading, watching, listening and understanding a different KIND of important thing?  Are the sparkly straws just out of reach?  Is fascinating stuff passing you by?  Are you too busy to be interesting?!  How is it for YOU?

x Pip