while listening to The Paris Apartment
Our beloved father was keen on efficiency, also known in his era as “time and motion study” and what today is sometimes referred to as multi-tasking. Or at least, that’s how I understand it. I’m not sure if his original interest was personal or related to his work, but we three kids became one test group for the practice. The popular book Cheaper By The Dozen provided lots of fun ideas for his experiment. From Wikipedia, “Cheaper by the Dozen is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Frank Bunker Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, published in 1948. The book tells the story of time and motion study and efficiency experts Frank Bunker Gilbreth and Lillian Moller Gilbreth, and their 12 children.” I think it’s time to reread it. I remember laughing at the crazy exploits, and then minding a little less the chores we kids were assigned around our house.
The habit of being productive and managing time stuck with me, and I still feel a wee twinge of guilt when I’m not. For me audiobooks provide a wonderful means to double-task. I can drive, embroider, or clean (if absolutely necessary) while also listening to a book. I’m sure Daddy would approve.
Open Your Eyes! 