Losing Focus
Sunday morning I stood at the ambo before Mass, leading all assembled in a public Rosary. Piece of cake for me usually, but this time I stumbled.
I carry a notebook with me with the prayers printed and I read along as I move through the beads. The compound cataracts in my eyes chose Sunday morning to become particularly troublesome. The words on the pages shifted in and out of focus and seemed to swim around as I tried to follow them. All while I stood there in front of the microphone reciting the prayers.
More troubling than the tricks my eyes were playing was my stumbling a few times during the reading: losing my place once near the beginning and nearly omitting a prayer at the end. Where WAS my mind? Losing mental focus while doing a public reading disturbs me more than having my eyes go all wonky.
Let me tell you, kids: getting old is a real bitch at times.
by Roscoe