You Might Be a Skimmer...


By JoJo Tabares momAs so many of us scramble to make ends meet, we have become a nation of caffeine-addicted rushers.  We're late!  We're late!  For a very important date!  No time to say hello, goodbye.  We're late!  We're late!  We're late! A bunch of Alice in Wonderland White Rabbits, we race from one thing to the next and seldom slow down enough to really understand what's going on around us.  We can't.  We don't have time!  As Willy Wonka stated, "I have so much time and so little to do!  Strike that.  Reverse it!" With so little time and so much to do, we find ourselves becoming a nation of skimmers.  We skim through our emails and even our conversations.  We listen with our "To Do" List running through our brains and we miss half of what is said.  That gets us into some hot water when we either miss an important piece of information or Aunt Mildred's upset because we were only pretending to listen to her. So how do you know if you've become a skimmer?  How do you know when it's gotten so bad and you are missing so much that your relationships are suffering?  Well, fortunately, I've developed a test.  Of course it's written in my own comedic style...and, as Wonka also said, "A little nonsense now and then..."  Here are seven ways to tell if you're a ...SKIMMER! 1. If you have ever run into a friend on the street and, as she's talking, you begin planning your dinner menu for the week and when you get to Thursday you realize you are nodding to NO ONE...you might be a skimmer. 2. If you have ever read an email three times for the first time...you might be a skimmer. 3. If you have ever had a conversation with someone who repeatedly says, "I just said that."...you might be a skimmer. 4. If you have ever shown up to a party on the wrong date...you might be a skimmer. 5. If you have found yourself at a black tie affair dressed in blue jeans...you might be a skimmer. 6. If you have had a conversation with your mother about several emails she sent you and find only half of it even vaguely familiar...you might be a skimmer. 7. If you ever had a one-hour, in-depth conversation with someone after which you not only couldn't remember who it was with, but what you talked about...you might be a skimmer. Skimming can be dangerous to your information and your relationships.  Believe it or not, skimming actually costs you more time to do things over again than you saved by skimming in the first place.  Slow down, America! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ JoJo Tabares holds a degree in Speech Communication.  Her Christian and humorous approach to communication skills has made her a sought after speaker.  JoJo’s articles have appeared in various homeschool magazines and websites such as Dr. Laura.com.  Her Say What You Mean curricula is endorsed by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine and her eBook, Say What You Mean When You’re in Business, has been used by direct sales leaders and small business owners alike.  For more information, please visit http://www.ArtofEloquence.com

12 comments


  • cindy holman

    Oh wow – this is SO funny – SO TRUE!! I think I might be guilty of being a skimmer – that one about showing up to something on the wrong date – Oh WOW – my friend Denise Gormley would have a HUGE laugh at my expense – and the one about the emails and conversation with my mother – oh boy – I’m guilty of that too!!


  • Bonnie

    JoJo,

    Uh-oh. I may have become a skimmer.
    Too much to do and so little time! I made a statement recently that I wish I could tack another decade onto my life, and another couple of hours onto every day.

    Time to slow down. Thanks for an excellent reminder!


  • jojosblog

    Exactly,Donna!! Good points, Carla and thanks for the RT!


  • Tweets that mention You Might Be a Skimmer… » Communication FUNdamentals -- Topsy.com

    […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by JoJoTabares, Carla Ives. Carla Ives said: RT @JoJoTabares: You Might be a Skimmer: http://artofeloquence.com/blog/skimmer/ […]


  • Carla

    I’m guilty. . . OCCASIONALLY. Blame my ADD. HAH! Actually, blame the fact that I am usually too busy to pay much attention and that’s sad. I really DO try to pay attention, especially to other people. I think it’s the epitome of rude to be interacting with someone and have your mind off somewhere else. I have known people who, in a conversation, make you feel like you are the only person in the room, even though there may be thousands. That is how I would like to treat people always. Indeed, Slow down, America!


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