Multi-tasking!

Have you heard about the woman from MN that delivered her baby behind the wheel while driving 70mph to the hospital! She said she just put the car on cruise control and delivered her 8 lb baby! I vote we make her an honorary southern belle. Tara herself couldn't have handled that situation with more spunk! She must be a multi-tasker is all I've got to say. I can't walk up stairs and chew gum at the same time. I'm really serious about this--just ask my family. I actually had to drop out of band in the 9th grade because we took up marching. You see you're suppose to march, count out your steps, play your instrument and breathe at the same time. Who ever came up with that idea? I had the breathing down. I was eventually able to play {although I use the term very loosely} the clarinet at the same time. It was adding the marching and counting that was way to much to ask! We went out on the side of the school, took our places, and had to play and count out 29 steps turn right etc. I knew my limitations but decided to give it the old Tara try. Start walking, counting, playing, 29 steps-everyone turn right I turn left! O.k. I was right in the first place. I won't play I'll just count and march. Worked I could officially count and march and just hold my fingers still on the top of the clarinet. Until Mr. English {the band teacher} notices that I'm not playing and calls me out in front of the whole group. O.K. I've got to actually play this thing. Play horn, march, count, everyone turns left--I turn right! I can see the handwriting on the wall. I sign up to switch to P.E. which let me tell you with my uncoordinated self wasn't any better than band. I look back now and think that they really should have had more options for girls-I mean really! The guidance counselor could say, "O.K, I see hear you can't walk up stairs and chew gum at the same time and we also know that you can't walk across an empty room without tripping over your own feet . We're going to label you special needs. Let me see what options do we have for your elective that you can handle. AH, we have Shopping 101, Eating a bag of Lay's potato chips without stopping after just one, Flirting 201 {I see your already advanced in that area.}" Would have made junior high a whole lot easier! Now in my defence of band, I realize what with all the resources we have now to find out that many people have phobias about certain things that I had a very natural phobia that highly interfered with my being able to play the clarinet! I was afraid that it would make me bucked teeth. There is a name for every phobia so I am sure there is a name for this one also! Nowadays we understand things like that. We know that some poor souls have a fear of water {aqua phobia.} Now we wouldn't insist that they be on the school swim team now would we? A kid with Mysophobia- the fear of germs- would have some allowances to leave class a little more than other kids to go wash his hands. We understand these things now and we work around them. We're compassionate and progressive in our thinking! Remember the term "No Child Left Behind?" But in the year 1975 you couldn't just walk in your counselor's office and say, "I'm afraid that I can't play the clarinet in band because I have this phobia that it will make me bucked teeth. Sign me up for Shopping 101." By the way if anyone out there knows the correct term for fear of a clarinet making you buck teethed I'd like to know. It's always nice to be able to make your phobias sound more scientific!