Attentive Idling

by Iris Graville

My compulsion to accomplish is fueled by a computer the size of the pack of cigarettes my mom used to slide into her purse. Portable devices allow us to learn foreign languages, listen to books, and attend lectures, all while we work out, make dinner, pull weeds, ride the bus, or wash dishes. Mine serves as my calendar, my watch, my address book, and my…