Hermit Crabs and Attention Deficit Disorder

You hear a lot about attention deficit disorder these days. The condition that once conjured up images of rambunctious young children and adolescents (mostly boys) who couldn’t stay in their seats has made its way to adults. Is attention deficit disorder contagious? Or are we simply succumbing to a world where we get information in six-second sound bites and are expected to multi-task our way through each day, juggling a plethora of activities that would have drove our ancestors mad.

My father once said, ‘People nowadays do more in one day than they used to do in a week.’ He’s right. I think we have lost our ability to simply ‘be’. Not that we should just sit around and be non-productive, mind you. However, we can’t just focus on one thing. I know, for me anyhow, that if I’m doing just one thing, I feel like I’m falling behind. Yet, when I don’t focus on at least one project that I have in the works, I end up where I am today, with too many irons in the fire and no desire to finish anything. I just keep reacting to the next crisis—and everything ends up being a crisis.

Perhaps it’s all just a state of mind (and I might just be losing mine!). Perhaps if we simply changed our perspective on things, then we wouldn’t be consumed by busy thoughts, busy news, busy work and just general busy-ness.

I know things need to ‘get done’, but do they really need to ‘get done’ at the expense of losing our connection with the things that are important in life?

Recently, we purchased some hermit crabs. I stood staring into their cage, impatiently waiting for them to do something. They didn’t do anything for ten seconds, so I left. Later, I was informed by an individual who knows infinitely more about hermit crabs than I do that they burrow into the substrate during the day and come out at night to socialize and do whatever it is that hermit crabs do.

About ten seconds into this individual’s explanation of hermit crab behavior, my attention wandered elsewhere and I imagined their conversations at the end of a long-day’s, hermit crab night:

‘Hello George.’

‘Hello Bernie.’

‘How was your day?’ George asks as he adjusted his new shell with his large claw.

‘Well, it was pretty busy. I climbed out from under the log, moseyed on over to the salt bath, had a little soak there. After that I ate a little and now I’m talking to you.’

George’s eyes widened in amazement. ‘Wow! You did have a busy day!’

‘Yeah, it just about wore me out,’ Bernie replied. ‘What about you? Looks like you got yourself a new pad!’

‘Yep, just moved in today. Didn’t have time to soak or even grab a bite to eat. Just finished up a bit ago and I am completely wiped out. I think I’ll just skip dinner and head straight to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow, Bernie.’

‘Okay, then. See you tomorrow.’

I know we can’t live like hermit crabs do. I mean we can’t live in a glass aquarium and have our food and water air-dropped to us everyday by some mysterious, benevolent being. Well, at least not yet, but I hope it won’t be long. But, I digress….

Anyhow, I’ve begun an experiment recently of trying to change my perspective. I think the reason we are afflicted with this lack of attention is because we let our attention get drawn in so many directions. I agree it’s necessary to stay informed and stay busy, but it’s also necessary to take a break and take a breath. I mean, do we really need to be talking on our Blue Tooth headset, while washing the dishes, while listening to the evening news, while preparing dinner, while running a load of laundry, while downloading MP3’s to our laptop? Okay, you’re right. We don’t need to do the laundry. No wonder I’m overwhelmed!

So how am I changing my perspective? I’m moving into a new shell! I’m changing my perspective by not thinking about ten things at once. Instead, I try to focus on the one thing that is in front of me, whether it is something I have to do, or someone I need to listen to. Just like that hermit crab. When he was changing his shell, he was only thinking about changing his shell. That’s why he missed the salt bath and dinner!

I don’t need to think or do ten things at once when I can only handle one. At least that’s what I keep telling myself. And I’ll keep telling myself that because life’s too short to get caught up in so many details.

Now where did I put that shell…. ?



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