Addictions

Each morning, as I sit at my desk looking out at the snowy garden, a hare nonchalantly hops by. It goes from the back to the front of the house. And each morning it belatedly occurs to me to take a photo. And each morning, I don’t. Though, today, at least I tried rather than simply contemplate the possibility.

That is not a trick photograph. There is no hare in it. And it’s not hiding behind the trees. It had hopped by before I took it. However, you can see the tracks. Truth be told, I was waiting for it to return, like it does every day, but I accidentally hit the capture button.

I guess I could just wait every day, camera poised and ready but that would be an addiction too far. I could set up a motion detector camera I suppose – I do have one in my desk – but then again, can I really be bothered?

Speaking of addiction, I was reading the latest BookBusters offering this afternoon during Reading Hour. The book is called Dopamine Nation by Dr Anne Lembke and explores the human desire for pleasure and the balance to be achieved between it and pain.

Today I read something that I have touted for a few years. The need some people have to just find out things as quickly as possible rather than enjoy a discussion with friends. How some people instantly reach for their phones whenever something is asked and ‘need’ to look up the answer and happily announce the result.

I have often said that this has altered the general chatter that is really what most groups of friends are after. It’s not accuracy, it’s not an academic meeting, it’s conversation.

I know someone who does this all the time and, frankly, it’s really irritating, especially if someone else is mid-sentence, making up something wildly improbable and yet very funny and entertaining. I hope the shot of dopamine is worth it but wonder what is on the other side of the balance scale. What is the painful price paid for discovering the capital of Chad? Or how the Romans invented aquatic concrete? Or…well, you get the idea.

While on the subject of addiction, I would also like to mention Nicoline who, the other week suggested that I try watching The Pitt. She said she’d become quite the fangirl for the show.

I had my usual doubts (generally don’t like American TV, medical procedurals are dull, etc) but tried it anyway. I am now totally addicted. I don’t usually binge watch anything but find it increasingly difficult to turn the TV off before the next episode starts.

(And I’ve only just realised that the main character is played by Noah Wyle who was in ER. There’s no reason why I would really know that because I’m fairly certain I have never watched an episode of ER. It does make me wonder whether Noah missed the medical profession so much that he decided to return.)

Anyway, while I think that ‘enjoy’ is probably not the best word to describe how I feel about The Pitt, I am certainly hooked. Thanks for that, Nicoline.

And, honestly, I am not addicted to taking photos of invisible hares every morning.

Now I must hurry away so I can watch another episode of The Pitt…