Self-Made Mom

I’ve always been a bit hyper.  I guess it’s just in my DNA.  Lately, though, and especially since I started working again, it seems that I’m going through some sort of chromosomal revolution.  All day, every day, I’m a crazed woman.  My brain is a twisted ladder of to-do lists, meeting requests, PowerPoint slides, solid food introduction and sleep rituals - all revolving around each other at the same time.  At least I know I’m in good company (thanks, Susan).  Problem is, my attempt to multitask my life has made me a terrible driver.

I’m here to tell you that multitasking while driving doesn’t mix. (I’m in no way making light of M.A.D.D. here. There’s nothing funny about drunk driving.)  See, in the five months I’ve been back at work I’ve been in two, count ‘em two, car accidents.  Luckily, neither were terribly serious, although I did have to call the pesky insurance agent about accident number two.  How did these happen you ask? Well, admittedly, in one of the incidents, I was chatting on my cell phone and trying to merge onto one of Chicago’s busiest streets while checking my BlackBerry (I may have an illness,  but don’t tell me you’ve never done this before.). 

What about the other incident, you ask?  Well, I was hit in an intersection. Maybe it could have been prevented if I hadn’t been chatting away to a friend, again.  But it’s really hard to just “sit there” in the car on the way to work, especially when you’re hyper like me.  I hate being idle.  Oh, the things I could do with 30 minutes to myself every day. Driving is definitely not on that list. 

I’m not alone out there, am I?  I don’t think so. Another working mom (and preggo) friend of mine totalled her car after a really hard day at work.  She was driving home, thinking about the fact that she only had 10 minutes to get home to put her daughter to bed, while handling a call for work.  And boom, she hit a ditch and that was it. Her car was done.  Again, luckilly, she and the baby were fine.  But still.

So after her incident and mine I’ve made a deal with myself.  No more phone while driving unless it’s an emergency.  Definitely no more BlackBerry checking, as much as it kills me.  No more multitasking while driving.  It’s just getting a little too scary out there.  And I’d rather not mess up my DNA any further.  Or someone else’s for that matter.

Tags: multitasking, working mom, driving to work

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