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Tuesday, February 09, 2016

The World Needs More Lerts

On a trip to Ecuador, I met a record store owner named Jorge. When I told him my name was Kasmira, he immediately broke it down into “casi mira,” saying it made sense because I saw nearly everything around me. It’s true; I’m always picking up on background noises and noticing objects out of place. Jorge took my friend and I out salsa dancing that night and then for a breakfast of incredibly salty hamburgers. And I noticed every detail (although I remembered few).

I arrived at my picture spot today and spotted a rock out of place. Of course, I fixed it before I took photos.


Blazer, Diane von Furstenburg (consignment). Tee, Disney. Skirt, Victoria’s Secret. Boots, Sofft (consignment). Earrings, Charming Charlie. Bag, Canvas boutique.


There are downsides to being hyper-alert to auditory and visual input. I rarely sleep through the night because I register every sound. I drift out of conversations because I’m easily distracted by the sights around me. I think my memory suffers because I simply have to sift through so much “noise” that I discard important information with the unimportant.

Sometimes, there is a payoff, though. Like when I found an owl tree because I noticed the pellets and extensive whitewash underneath a neighbor’s magnolia. Or, today, when I was sitting at my desk and picked out the sound of a woodpecker in the front yard, snuck around the house, and photographed it.


Be alert! (If you want to find birds.)

5 comments:

  1. I see everything - I can't NOT see things. I can't not read everything that I can see (and I can read upside down, so I see a lot of confidential memos). Sometimes I have to pretend I don't see things, otherwise I look rather "lert" myself (I always loved that "the world needs more lerts" thing).

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  2. Anonymous11:41 AM

    I love this blazer! I would not have thought of a t-shirt underneath, but I really like this look. Now if only I had a cool blazer and t-shirt combo.... (add to shopping list).

    The hearing things is the worst for me! Especially eating sounds (I'm sure I've got misophonia!). But it does pay off sometimes - not the eating noises, but other sounds.

    ~J

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  3. I love the mix of the graphic tee with the pencil skirt.

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  4. I hear you K. It's a blessing and a burden.
    I tend to notice rips, holes, tears, missing buttons, stains, wrinkled items... sometimes its like I only notice the bad. Sucks.

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  5. looks like a Nuttall's... don't have those in Ohio...

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