Nosey Nosey Nosey

Not only am I easily distracted,  I am INSANELY curious.  With ADHD, I constantly find myself picking up on other people's conversations.  When they interest me, of course, I become hyper focused and before you know it, I'm asking questions and giving my 2 cents!  Sometimes I get a weird look, others I get appreciation.  It's a toss-up.  When I see a squirrel running through a yard, It doesn't just distract me from a conversation I may be having.  I also have to watch the squirrel run through the yard, up the tree, across the branches to another tree... which would all be worthwhile if I could see a hawk swoop down and grab it.  But alas, nothing like that ever happens.
 Eaves Dropping?  I suppose I do this.  I was once accused of spying on someone.  Seriously?  Ridiculous.  People place too high a value on their private life and conversations.  The problem, though, is my big mouth.  I usually try to participate in these conversations, and much of the time it's not appreciated.

The checkout:

I'll be standing in line at a store (usually the grocery store) and find myself listening to the parents of the rambunctious children in front of me yell at them or have a meltdown of their own because their kids aren't behaving.  Or the opposite, they are completely ignoring their kids and having their own conversation with each other or the cashier.  I'll find myself getting involved. I might join the conversation or I might tell the kids to stop eating the candy from the checkout lane before their parents pay for it.

Pretty sure the conversations here can't be ignored...

The Restaurant:

I've been known to go out with family for dinner, and get kicked under the table for listening to the conversation at the table next to ours.  Or watching the kids play with their food instead of keeping my own kids in line.  I am often told to stop staring.

Staring

I have no functional "incognito" mode.  I'm pretty much right there in your face listening to your conversation or watching what .  I cannot control my curiosity.  Its hard for me to try to be sly about things.  The worst is when I am shopping with my wife and she thinks I'm checking out another woman because I'll suddenly get distracted and "people watch" as I like to call it.  When this would happen in elementary school, I would be accused of cheating on class work and tests.  My eyes wander.  it's that simple. 

In the end, it's a blessing and a curse.  I can pick up on things happening around me while I work, shop, eat, etc.  However I don't always want to.  I am just glad that every time a pretty woman walks by, my wife understands my wandering eye is completely innocent...