I think about that a lot today, especially when I catch myself scrolling through videos at double speed or skipping through a podcast because I don’t have the patience to finish it.
My grandmother’s generation built focus through stillness. They didn’t multitask their attention; they invested it.
They lived in a time when listening was an act of respect and storytelling was an exchange of presence. There was no background noise, no multitasking, and no urge to capture the moment instead of living it.
It makes me wonder if their long attention spans weren’t just a product of their time but also a reflection of what we’ve lost: the art of listening without distraction.
Maybe that’s what defined the Boomer generation more than anything else: not just what they said, but how deeply they listened. And maybe learning to do the same is the quietest form of wisdom we can bring back.
Starting Narratives 
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