It Feels so Good When It Stops

Grrrrr. A jackhammer is working on the street outside my office. It’s ruining my morning. I can’t concentrate with the constant tat-tat-tat bouncing in my head.

Eventually the annoying clatter recedes into the background and I find myself answering emails and questions from colleagues. I feel almost normal. Then, just before lunch, suddenly I feel great. What happened? Oh, yes. The jackhammer stopped.

All of us, after a time, stop consciously noticing the negative impact of something annoying...