Noticing

Today a week ago. I am just planning my day, trying to figure out all the things I need to sort before going to the hospital. I make my favourite weekend photo my screen protector.

My surgeon’s PA calls.
‘You are having open surgery tomorrow.’
‘Yes.’
‘You didn’t have pre op.’
He sounds almost accusatory.
‘No.’
I swallow the: I tried to call but you didn’t pick up the phone comment.
‘You need a pre-op.’
‘I figured.’
‘Can you come in this afternoon.’

After that things are a bit of a blur. The anesthesist: it’s an art form she told me, and I believe it! Metallica plays in the theatre on my request. Nothing better to calm the ADHD nervous system. Seriously, I should have asked for Enter Sandman, totally missed the opportunity.

Recovery is slooooow. I am restlessly in pain. And loathe the medical compression stockings. I am supposed to wear them for 6 weeks!

Most of my activity right now centres around noticing.

All the movements we do not notice during the day, bending down to pick something up, getting into a chair and back out again. Don’t talk to me about getting in and out of bed. The roll technique which worked well for my back injury does not work now. I have invented the backwards seal shuffle. Not elegant but functional.

Noticing is important.
The admiral butterfly on the lilac tree. The pain shooting from wrong movement–don’t repeat that movement. The song thrush opening the day at 4AM. The sudden stop of movement after the rush of semester activity.

How often do we take note, of our selves and one another? How much can we take note of our students when we have class sizes in the hundreds. Is there a way of building noticing into the system?

Can we encourage students to take note of one another. Look up from their devices?
Noticing life around them? Step out of immediate bubbles of self enclosure?

Has not noticing a protective function?

And thus the questions keep emerging..

Once, I managed the whole rather elaborate morning routine, I might hit scholar labs–in between naps–and find out, if someone has explored the current state of noticing, or lack thereof, amongst young adults.