The Nothing Box

When a woman asks a man, "what are you thinking about?"  Often times, a common answer is "nothing." Now, to say, "nothing" may be a cover for, "I'm thinking about something but I just don't want to talk about it now," often times however, it is entirely within the realm of possibility that men are totally truthful when they say "nothing."  You see, men, unlike women have access to "the nothing box." It is that little place in our mind where we can go and literally think about... nothing. It is a beautiful place.  I can't take credit for this concept, a few of my staff were discussing this idea this summer and it resonates with me.

The problem you see, is twofold.  First, women don't have a nothing box.  Women have no place in their mind where they can go to escape EVERYTHING.  They are always thinking about SOMETHING.  It can be difficult for someone without a nothing box to understand when someone else has access to theirs.

That is the other problem, I can't seem to access mine anymore.  Accessing the nothing box takes time.  It takes uninterrupted, unopposed time.  Lately, I have been busier than a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. In this month of little in the way of cancer treatment, I have tried to jump back in to taking on my fair share of duties at home and at work.  As a brief aside, the pool fund is nearing the 60 thousand dollar mark, and we have not even made it to December.  I am very pleased with our progress thus far.  You see, I need a bit of time to clear things out.  A bit of time spent in the nothing box allows me to return to the world and write and do whatever else needs doing.  It has been difficult as of late.

I am curious your thoughts.  I want to hear if you buy this concept of the "nothing box."  Let me know.

Comments

mgbrown said…
I would love to have a nothing box...maybe it's just something I really need to take the time to find, right!?
I often times hear myself say, "there is just so much running around in my head."
If nothing else, maybe it just helps to know that we aren't all alike. Some of us can think of nothing, and that must be nice, while others of us can't seem to stop thinking, and it gets a bit tiresome! But knowing, might give us an apprecitation for others. Now I won't scoff when someone tells me they're thinking of "nothing", prior to your post I never really thought that was true.
PaulandKatie said…
I do believe men have a nothing box and I just chalk it up to one more of the advantages or plus' of being a man. Now that's not to say I would ever want to be a man, but Paul and I have talked many a time of how women do seem to have it a little rougher than men. And yes I can come up with quite a few examples and Paul usually only has one or two to counter with. So we'll just throw this in with the rest of them!!!
Susan Lysaght said…
i loved this post! ;)
papa hoeben said…
I have a nothing box....I have spent many pleasent hours thinking of absolutely nothing while in the woods hunting deer. Sometimes I think this is my favorite part of deer hunting.
cheri said…
Love the nothing box topic. Jason and I have talked about this a few times in the last 14 years of togetherness. He see nice Christmas and thinks: nice bet it costs about $50, then back to nothing. I see nice Christmas lights and think: nice i bet they bought them at Target, I need to go to Target we need paper towels, toothpaste, and PB, oh PB I need to made Molly a lunch for tomorrow, tomorrow is show and tell at daycare what is Isaac going to bring, Oh I need to tell daycare that Molly wont be there Friday. Friday is PJ day at school, I need to do laundry so she has clean PJ to wear and so on, and so on, and so on.....
Men and women are so different.
cheri said…
I think it's a mans right to have a nothing box, hope your comes back soon!!!