I am extremely sensitive to anything that I find obnoxious (lots of TV commercials ) and this coincides with my discovery that I, myself, may have recently become an "attractive nuisance"! The term "attractive nuisance" is a legal one. It means that which is so attractive it becomes disturbing, an overwhelming distraction, as opposed to a subtle distraction.

Perhaps the "root of the problem" is that we all are presented with almost limitless opportunities to be distracted, and that this is a beginning level for us to learn discipline, to "determine" freely (I know this sounds and/or is paradoxical) exactly what distractions, if any will make us the happiest. Or Perhaps the goal is to transgress, and/or transcend distractions and to emerge to a consciousness that is so present that only life or death physicality distracts you from the present.

I have been intensely curious for what seems to be most of my life, at least since I was able to read. This curiousity, combined with an (instinctual?) awareness of and a distrust for any and all authority (now "interpreted as ODD or Oppositional Defiance Disorder) resulted in much conflict, both internally and externally. If I had my life to "do over" again, as in the film "Ground Hog Day", I wonder if a slight change in my appearance might have resulted in more opportunities to be undrstood. As it was, I believe I was tremendously misinterpreted by others, AND myself.

There was an aspect to my appearance that was (almost) missing, namely eyebrows! I realize now, that I was making impressions without expression. As a child, I was taken for shy, but that was a judgement made by others because I must have frightened almost everyone because my appearance resulted in making others react to emotional ambiguousness. Later, my appearance would result in psychiatrists, psychologists, etc., "diagnosing" me as being without affect, when what I really needed was eyebrows, or more defined eyebrows.

I know this may seem like it is more cosmetic than basic root causality, but as a result of replacing my lost, or almost invisible eyebrows, (and of course, concurrently finding my lost sense of humor, serendipitously) my life, my health, everything has changed,for the better! So it is a root cause(and I really wish my eyebrow "roots" would magically develop, as well, but I will settle for artificial eyebrow pencil for now) to and for me.

Barbara Todish is a writer, performer and former adjunct instructor at various universities, community colleges. She was a former airline flight attendant.