Stop. Think. Focus.

I try not to post too much about me, although I do use examples from my own life, because after all, it is the one I know best. Also, I refuse to write about blogging. I will do it right now, and never again, because it applies not only to writing, but to my life.

Thus far, my writing has been moderately unfocused. My goal from here on out is to narrow it down a little. The blog title is Oddities Humanus, and at the onset, I wanted to write about funny things that people do, and I would like to continue that, but I would like to add, or reiterate a focus of the writing. The question is: Why? Let's use the post Just For Laughs as an example. I do not want to simply discuss why these men would make dating videos, but is there a reason that makes them do it, only because they're human. Is there something present in all humans that would push us to do this?

Focus is also needed in my life and the lives of many people out there. Epidemic in high schools is the urge to get involved, which is awesome for many reasons. Incoming freshman don't know everyone who is in their class, and at a big school, they probably never will, but if they get involved in a ton of activities right away, they meet people. A wide variety of activities also helps one find things that they're good at and that they enjoy. After some time, though, kids get in a group and have friends. Most students at this point probably have a good idea of what they're good at and what they enjoy.

It is at this crossroads when one must decide (because you can't be good at everything), whether to continue involvement in a wide variety of activites, and not focus on some or all, or narrow the use of your time, and become your best at one or two. I'm not saying a student couldn't still be involved in multiple things. Instead, I am suggesting that people find what they need to be spending their time on, and focus. I think that everyone has the desire to be good at something, for their skills to be needed, and focusing our use of time helps us to fulfill that desire, and become the best we can be.

What people need, other than their job or focus activity (if in school), is a hobby. Some people build things, some people write songs, and some people excercise. I would consider a hobby anything that you spend considerable time on regularly outside of your day job. Hobbies help to be a release from the daily grind, and sometimes to release creativity that isn't used at work. Long story short, I think I need a hobby. I am involved in a lot of things, and I'm ok with that, but I would like something that I can do that I can call mine. In the meantime, I will try and keep my writing focused.

Focus

Sometimes, a person loves something so much that it is all they think about. For my dad at the moment, it is fixing our house to sell, and finding the right house to move into. For me, at least until Friday, it was Dave Matthews Band. We had tickets for a few months to the show on Friday, and the closer the show came, the more obsessed I became.

The picture above is the album cover from their latest release, Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King . Friday's show was part of their 2009 summer tour supporting the album, which is largely about their late saxophonist, Leroi Moore. The show was a blast, and I will never forget it, but it's not the show that I want to discuss.

"Hype" can get really big. The hype in my life for this event was enormous. I thought about the show every day after we got tickets. I listened to DMB songs almost every day. The only CD for a straight two weeks was the new one, and it was the only thing that was played for those two weeks. I was more excited for this concert than I have been for nearly everything else that I've done. It ended up being one of the coolest things I've seen, right behind Africa (Which was also this year. Yeah, big year for the Irish American).

Not only was I excited, I was incredibly focused on it. I bought songs, learned their history, the members, and listened to them constantly. I have found that I get like this when I am truly excited for something. It was the same way with my Africa trip. My computer was only used to learn about South Africa, look at pictures of South Africa, and to learn what I would be doing in South Africa. If there is one way to tell how excited a person is for something, this has to be it. When they are completely taken over by the subject, they are truly excited. Other times, they may say they are excited, but maybe not as much as they could be.

It is focus that truly shows what we enjoy, because if we didn't love it, why would we focus on it? People who are incredibly good at what they do, are likely very focused in their work. They also likely enjoy their work tremendously, or else they wouldn't work so hard. Why would you develop a skill that you don't enjoy and isn't necessary to survive? True focus, in this way, is reserved only for the things which we love.