How do I get a word in edgewise?

[Gaugamela]

3. There are many people in today's world who simply can't process

more than a few words at a time. I encountered this when I was managing a retail store a couple decades ago and was training new hires. TV, cell phones, video games — they are programmed to react to their first impulse. I think it is a kind of acquired ADD. I realized that I had to communicate with simple declarative sentences. Make one point at a time. If you attempt a complex sentence they immediately stop listening. They simply can’t process it or hear it.

So you say:

1. My speedometer light is out.

You let him talk for awhile so his brain can recharge, then you say:

2. Oh, and my ABS light is acting up.

He talks some more while his brain charges up again.

3. The ABS light is always on.

More chatter.

4. I have this bulb that I think will fix one of them.

More meaningless chatter.

5. This bulb should fix one of them.

Later you come back and the guy says “Hey, I noticed your speedometer light was out. You had the wrong bulb, but I figured out it worked for the ABS light.” Big grin.

It’s not you. It’s just a different generation or mindset.