When the chatter of the mind is so overpowering that we cannot control it, distractions come in handy.

Squirrels can be a delightful distraction.

Multitasking?

In his delightfully funny scientific book, Brain Rules,  John Medina, a developmental molecular biologist and affiliate Professor of Bio-Engineering at the University of Washington,  says multitasking is a myth. We are biologically incapable of paying attention to more than one thing simultaneously.

Since the mind cannot pay attention to more than one thing at a time, diverting our attention to distractions might be our best defense when we can’t seem to gain control of our mind.  

Squirrels as a Distraction

One of my favorite distraction is squirrels. So cute, and not hard to find!   I know for many they are a pest.  But for me, they are simply delightful. While I have squirrel encounters almost every day,  three unforgettable squirrel encounters reign supreme in my memory. 

Shoelace Fetish
My husband and I were walking out from the hospital after visiting our newborn niece.  A darling squirrel on the premises took an extreme liking to my husband’s shoelaces. I mean, this squirrel looked like it was trying to untie them. It was hysterical.  The persistent squirrel returned three times to mess with Bruce’s shoelaces. We wondered if it was trying to deliver a message from a deceased relative or friend…

Fat Squirrels
Another unforgettable encounter happened while touring the 17-mile drive in Pacific Grove, California.  I was with my husband and mother-in-law. We pulled into a stop and hopped out to enjoy the sights. There were signs prominently posted reading, “Do Not Feed The Squirrels.” Suddenly three extremely fat squirrels waddled out from behind the rocks. They were fully expecting to be fed. Apparently, people were not paying much heed to those signs. It was pretty funny. 

Hotel Squirrels
A more recent encounter happened while staying in a small quaint cabin in Idyllwild, California. There the local squirrels were so tame they almost joined us in the hotel room! No surprise. The room included a complimentary bag of peanuts to feed our furry visitors. Additional bags of nuts cost a pretty penny.  That didn’t stop us!  Bring on the nuts!  We had great fun feeding and playing with those squirrels on our balcony. We were, however, mindful of any sneaky attempts to enter our room.

A Squirrel Video

Here is a short one-minute delightful distraction squirrel video for you to enjoy.