The Inattentive Method of Tree Decorating

"Let chaos reign, then rein in chaos."  – Andrew S. Grove

When a tree is put together with too much care and planning, it looks phony. Just put the ornaments on the tree. The chaotic approach adds a greater sense of creative expression to any artform. Why should tree decorating be any different?

"Merry Christmas, Charlie Brown."

Conventional wisdom (the convenient wisdom garnered from widely held opinion) promises that one bests accomplishes any given task only through the methodical application of an intricately detailed plan, yet free market economists and group dynamic mediators would beg to differ. A rigid plan is often incongruous with healthy development of an organism or group: does conscious planning occur anywhere in nature? Yes and no. Biology conforms to coded blueprints (DNA); migratory birds follow memorized maps of landmarks and pressure changes; and different generations of ants will instinctively build similar colony nests, but none of the previously mentioned examples qualify as plans: lacking the instincts necessary for higher levels of functionality, humans developed culture to exchange thoughts and ideas between generations, so we (humans) habitually conform to plans because that is what our culture prods us to do – even though planning is against our nature.

Year after year, Southwest remains one of the most heavily traveled domestic airlines, which is particularly remarkable because it also consistently earns the highest safety and costumer satisfaction ratings. Borrowing a page from ants, fliers board planes via the swarm method. Some traffic studies in Europe have also shown that traffic could flow more quickly and safely if intersections used a chaotic swarm method, instead of traffic lights.

I also recommend a swarm method when decorating the tree. It is foolish to argue with results: it took me less time and the tree looks good, but it is a little small.

Season's Greetings

Christmas and I have a love/hate relationship. Every year of my preadolescence, my sister and I went to my grandparents house to trim their Xmas tree. It was a tradition that I enjoyed for many years, but along life's journey, family traditions became less important to me. As I developed my own sense of independence, I no longer felt the need to repeat any particular activity simply because that is what was always done.

As I distanced myself from the celebrations, I began to see the crass commercialism wrapped up in the holiday. Giving/receiving gifts no longer gave me any pleasure, because I realized that as a mindless consumer, I was contributing anything of value to society, yet the flashing lights and other distractions appeal to my Inattentive nature. Giving just to give, taking just to take – a hollow and selfish cycle. My family started bequeathing annual charitable donations among ourselves, (instead of wrapped material goods), and that makes much more sense to me – yet the spirit of the holiday season has still been absent from my heart.

Guaranteed: none of my fellow ADHDers conform easily. We do not march to the same rhythm as the does the rest of society – perhaps, meander is a better word – we meander to individuated, syncopated selection of backbeats and rhythms. Maybe some of the ADD crowd jives on Christmas carols and putting ornaments on the tree, but I am not among their number. The only way I can enjoy any activity is when I can take personal ownership in it.

My wife, on the other hand, loves Christmas. She loves the happiness and the joy (artificial, though it may be), and she loves the carols and the decorations. For her, Christmas is the only good aspect of winter, an otherwise dreary season. Because I love my wife more than my own breath, I took it upon myself to "get over it" and enjoy the holiday. And guess what… I have.

Conforming to our society's spiritual materialism, I bought decorations for a plastic tree my grandparents bought for us a few years ago. My wife even let me decorate our tree, and I enjoyed it.