Pay attention

Recently, I was talking to someone before a meeting and I realized that as I was speaking he was looking over my head, scanning the room -- for someone more powerful? interesting?  attractive?  I realized that at that point he lost me.  I felt sad, and angry.  I want to remember this because in my own interactions with my kids, students, colleagues, the person at the CVS checkout, I want to pay attention.  And it is hard.  As I'm writing this, my son is telling me something about the video game he's playing with his sister, and in order to pay attention to that, I have to stop this.  So I tell him that I'm writing and I will listen to him later, and I wonder if that's the right decision.  I think that acknowledging when I can't pay attention because of other things is ok...  it's very hard for me when multiple voices are talking to me and I need to stop, slow down, and listen to each in turn.  And not forget to listen to myself too.