Do you know a multi-tasker? You probably know someone who claims to be a multi-tasker. Anybody can lay claim to the title. And anybody can be one. As long as the tasks don’t have to be done right.

I can type, read, talk on the phone and watch television. And, yes, these tasks can be conducted simultaneously.

However, if anyone witnesses this, they may notice that my end of the phone conversation consists mostly of “UmHum,” If tested after the conversation has been completed, it might not be possible to tell you who I was talking to or what they said. Same goes for what happened on the program I was supposedly watching. Usually, if any writing is being done while on the phone or when the TV is on, the finished product turns out to be a transcript of whatever was being said.

And as far as reading at the same time goes, let’s just say a book may be open nearby. That doesn’t mean it’s being read.

Studies conducted on the subject show that human beings are incapable of effective multi-tasking. The brain has only so much capacity available for concentration, and much of what needs doing,

I have about a week or so to get ready for football season. Last year when it came time for football season, I had injured myself a week or so earlier, so Rocky had to find someone else to cover the games.

When I got better, the person who replaced me, Kerry, was doing a good job, so I simply took the season off.

Part of the sickness of this profession is that you somehow want to find yourself working all the time. But when you add up the time spent covering the game, the time spent interviewing the coaches, the time spent writing the story … well, it’s not that great of an opportunity.

Don’t get me wrong. If I am needed I will cover games and be dedicated to it. But not being able to cover games really is not the end of the world.

And I can choose what game I want to go to, since I won’t be covering the event. This Friday I will probably go see Pickens play Easley — my alma mater against the team I covered for about 20 years. Next week I am looking at the Easley-Daniel matchup, keeping it in the county. I need to include a Liberty game in there this season and meet up with my friends in Liberty.

Then Saturdays I will be following college football. Again, not having to cover any game is really an advantage. Of course, most games I will watch on television. My father taught me a long time ago that the advantage of watching a game on television is that little switch that says “off.”

Last week as I was sitting in the pharmacy waiting area at CVS, I found the gentleman at the register looking over at me trying to figure out why he recognized me. He studied me. I studied in response. It clicked.

“You used to write for the paper,” he half asked, half stated.

“Yes,” I replied.

“I miss reading your stories,” he said. “I keep hoping that you will make a guest appearance or come back.”

This exchange got me thinking about how much I have missed writing for The Courier. To the gentleman at CVS, this is for you. Thanks for inspiring me to make a comeback.

News of Robin Williams’ suicide really made me sad, and it also made me think about my life and mortality. Death has a way of doing this for the living. After news of his suicide circulated, what followed was information about a recent Parkinson’s diagnosis. While it isn’t a death sentence, the disease would certainly change one’s life dramatically. This