Did You Notice That?
Did You Notice That?
It’s interesting the things we notice compared to the things we don’t.
I came home the other day to the smell of fresh Pine-Sol which could only mean one thing; the house cleaner was there.
Don’t judge. It’s not bougie, it’s just something we make a priority and budget for accordingly.
My wife still cleans before the house cleaner comes over though… which is something I’ll never fully understand… but I digress.
I walk in and instantly know the cleaner was there from the smell. Then after the smell, I noticed all the little things that she did. Couch cushions straight, counters wiped down, stove clean, sink shiny.
But the thought came to mind, if I hadn’t of smelled the Pine-Sol, would I have noticed anything else. Honestly, probably not.
This thought led me to the thought that all our house cleaner would really need to do is come in, spray cleaner by the entrance and then leave. And I would totally think she came.
I told my wife this thought and it blew her mind!
“But don’t you notice the clean floors or the vacuum streaks or the bed made?”
At first, no, I don’t. Those aren’t things that I always notice.
But why is that?
Our attention is trained. It’s learned. The things that are important to us, we pay attention to.
I might not notice a new plant on the kitchen windowsill or a clean rug, but I’ll notice a shady looking dude at the mall I can tell was just released from prison.
I’ll notice the gun shape in an off duty cops waistband.
I’ll notice the cauliflower ears on someone indicating that they’ve wrestled or do Jiu Jitsu.
I’ll notice non fiction book references in speeches or conversations.
I’ll notice the amount of macronutrients on someone’s plate… all various things I care about. All things that I notice immediately.
The next time that you find yourself in awe of what someone didn’t notice, try and think of the things that fall in the margins of your expertise.
- Did you notice the comet NEOWISE in 2020?
- Did you know the actor that played Dumbledore died?
- Did you notice the typhoon that hit the Philippines a few months ago?
I only noticed one of those things. The other two, no idea.
Through nurture and nature, we are each programmed in unique ways.
There will always be some things we notice and some things we don’t. I want to believe that if we noticed it all, we wouldn’t ever be able to get a darn thing done.