Anticipation!

Anticipation can be a huge distraction. When I know something is going to happen, and that "something" is really good or really bad, or even just a major change, I find myself thinking about it frequently.

I've talked about that aspect of Christmas, for example. I love the anticipation associated with Advent. The end of a school year used to be the same -- it was hard to concentrate on school as summer vacation approached. And, in a manner that's both the same and the opposite, the anticipated arrival of a new school year often made it hard to enjoy the final few days of summer vacation as fully as I'd have liked.

But those are periodic, recurring events, where the anticipation is almost scheduled -- it is habitual.

Today, I have several things I'm anticipating which are unknowns. In some respects, they are secrets which will be revealed. Yet, they are also uncertain events, which may not come to pass at all. The flavor of uncertain anticipation is different from the flavor of the habitual. And, I find, it's distracting in a different way. Oh, I still enjoy it, but I also tend to think "what if it doesn't happen?"

I find I'm blessed these days: the anticipation I feel in my personal life is all about good things, or potential good things.

And so, for now, anticipation is fun! But still distracting!

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On a related note, here's a quote I like about anticipation. Note that Mr. Rogers is talking about the habitual anticipation I mentioned above:

I like to compare the holiday season with the way a child listens to a favorite story. The pleasure is in the familiar way the story begins, the anticipation of familiar turns it takes, the familiar moments of suspense, and the familiar climax and ending.
Fred Rogers