We are creatures of habit. Some good. Some bad. People crave routine. This can be in our activities as well as our thinking. I decided to do some digging. 

Believe it or not you do things on automatic to conserve brain power. The grey matter comprises 2% of our body weight but sucks up 20% of the energy we use. Whether it is walking, eating, driving a car things just happen without a lot of thought. 

The good part of habits is  it takes stress out of our lives. There is a thing called consistency. There is a bad part when we repeat bad things. Drugs, alcohol, eating can be detrimental to your health and psyche. Yet we do the same thing over and over again.

Repetitive feels good like a pair of flip flops or an old sweatshirt. I will just kick back and let the world go by. I am just going to worry about me and my own. Why rock the boat?  Why think differently?

I am probably the wrong person to go down this path. My poor wife has followed me down a number of rabbit holes and dark alleys. We have moved dozens of times. We have lived in several cities and states and belonged to a number of clubs and parishes. Is this healthy? I am not quite sure.  

We have made friends at each stop with a few still hanging in there with us. When we visit other towns or even countries we muse if it might be nice to live there. Check the real estate listings. Envision a new life. Go ahead. Ask the question. Are we restless, bored or perhaps escaping? Or are we just super inquisitive or adventuresome?  No comment. 

As we get older I think we have slowed down. We have lived in our house for ten years here in Flalaland. A world record for the Kennys. We have done more travel that probably satisfies our wanderlust. We have wonderful friends here but not so much with cliques. We tend to seek out new acquaintances.  

My one regret wherever we go is that we get used to the scenery. We have lived in some marvelous places with panoramic views of the Rockies, the Sonoran desert and of course seashores. I had to slap myself and say don’t forget how lucky you are. I am sure we all get used to views from our bay windows and our minds. 

How we think politically, spiritually, morally and philosophically become habits. Are these deeply held principles or just laziness? Do we need to revisit and even question long held truths? I have told you before my Jesuit training has taught me to question everything. If you can’t believe in it, you can’t internalize. But once you do I don’t think you can put that in the freezer. Times change and offer new insights. I think that inquisitive lust should always be there. 

That of course gets me in trouble. It predicts some sort of change or redirection. That makes people feel uncomfortable. Throw out democracy, socialism or immigration on the table at your next dinner party. If you are not immediately asked to leave there will be a deafening silence. Oh well, I like to keep it interesting. Kathy calls them Ted’s hand grenades. Puts a crimp in our social life. 

Where we are today as a country is revealing. We had the World Cup at venues all over. All sorts of outsiders came to watch futbol but also to see what this place is like. They were surprised and engaging. The differences were  palpable but also intriguing. Crazy Scots, rowing Norsemen showed us a different type of fandom than Yankee Stadium or Chavez Ravine. How about the Japanese cleaning up before they left the arena?  I loved it. Something different. 

Talk about different? The  Trumpster, Elon and Mandami have thrown our day to day into a whirl.  AI and global dynamics have challenged our contentment. You really aren’t sure what the hell is going to happen as you greet each day. Do we just hunker down and wait it out or get involved? I can watch my daily dose of Netflix or God forbid dig deeper. 

I was talking with a friend today about his neighborhood. He said he has never met the guy across the street. He said people just don’t get involved. Why? Well it is just their way. We tend to stay in our lane. A good or bad habit?  

Cool it TTG. Boring is simple. The world will survive and in a few years we won’t even remember this. Apple pie and People magazine. Haircuts every month and dinner at 7. Film at 11. Rinse and repeat. 

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids:

Everyone wants to change their habits with New Year’s resolutions. Join  a gym? 80% of new members quit within 5 months. 

Unusual habits can be called quirks or weird. OCD brings out the strange in people.  Some can be downright annoying. Talking on your  cell phones in confined spaces. Slurping your soup or eating with an open mouth. 

Ask someone why they believe a particular ideology and you will usually get,”Because I have always thought this way”. Why? “None of your business.” 

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over assai and expecting different results. Albert Einstein. 

WC Fields on habits: “I once met a woman that drove me to drink. I have been looking for her ever since to write her a thank you note.”

In golf you can do the same thing wrong every time. It is called muscle memory. Your brain is a muscle. 

Happy Birthday To All Of Us…..

I got to thinking about this particular one. I have lived just about 1/3 of the time this place has been in business. Many questions surface. I find my little brain wandering back to the beginning. July 4, 1776. Philadelphia was hot, and sans fans and ac’s it had to be positively sweltering. With our heat wave today maybe nothing has changed. 

Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness keeps ringing in my ears. That’s really all we wanted after years of the monarchy. 

Common sense and respect for one another. Sounds simple.

We were 13 colonies but each had their own idea of how to run their cities and burghs. A convenient arrangement. You leave us alone and we will do the same. 

I guess that relates to the “life” part. You should be able to walk down the street or make your way into town without someone blowing your head off. Do you think they had road rage then? Maybe it also entails a crazy concept called, “Do Unto Others.” Live and let live. I could go on for pages. 

We have seven grandchildren. As I watch them grow, I resist every urge to say you may want to consider this or that. It is your life, not mine. I told this to our three kids when they were 18. We would love to be part of your life but we don’t have to be. What are you guys, nuts?

Liberty. That is why we have the bill of rights. Within reason you can do whatever you want. However if you doing your thing infringes on anyone else’s we have to have a discussion. 

I really believe in freedom of speech, press or whatever. Pro Palestinian or pro Israel. Trump or no Trump. You really can say what you want. I really wonder if we are close to censorship in a real or subtle way? What if I look down on you for what you think? You are ostracized for believing in this or that. At your club, church or block party.  Is that right?  Good question. 

The pursuit of happiness is the ability for you to better yourself. You don’t have to but we can’t get in your way. But it also means we don’t owe you a living. We will try to help in some ways but you are on your own. I think in an abstract way, you have to  take responsibility for yourself. 

Over 250 years there have been a lot of adjustments. Some rights crash into others. You have a right to do whatever you want with your body. Should we be able to terminate a pregnancy or end our own lives at will? I know it will never satisfy either side but you really have to give it some thought. 

You want to own a gun. Great! But doesn’t that infringe on my right to live peacefully if you decide to shoot up your local food court or political rally? I am driving on I95 and all of sudden a drunk is driving the wrong way without a license or insurance. Is it really TS,TTG?

Pursuit of happiness is my particular breaking point. In the service, it was three hots and a cot. In real life it is a roof over your head. I owe you running water and a decent meal. Self determination means you have the right to to set your own goals, make your own choices and determine your own destiny. I always ponder that everything good or bad that happens in your life is the result of a decision you made. Stop making excuses. 

We have always been at war. It is part of our DNA. My lifetime has seen 7 or 8 of them. I participated in one. If you have ever been there you do not want another. Yet there are SEALS, CIA agents and defense companies that will always get a receptive ear. Tear up at a flyover, but always duck when the call to arms is sounded. Thank you for your service. 

We are ambitious, adventurous and inventive. The Musks of today were the Edisons, Salks and  Bells of yesteryear. We are never satisfied with status quo. There is always something else. That is maddening in some ways but very cool in others. I worry that we don’t embrace smart people from other parts of our world. We don’t have a monopoly on brains and can’t buy our way into it. 

There is a lot of hand wringing about AI, jobs and global warming. We have to be prudent and wary but does paranoia work for you? Sure there is a lot of money out there that most of us will never see. It is great to strive but should we blow our brains out for the Holy Grail of a second home, five cars in the driveway and a $500 bottle of wine. Is it really worth it?

Lastly is our voice. Who are we? Trumpers or AOCers? Tycoons or artists? Arrogant or humble? My guess is if we go out and see our country it is chock a block with some very good people. Not necessarily rich and famous but deep down decent. 

Our news orgs of all sorts don’t think that sells and maybe they are right. But who are the buyers? Fox News is at the top of the charts but that is 10 million viewers. Throw in 5 million others scattered about. That is 5% of our population. Let’s even go so far as to say that 5% of our population are evil or crooked in some sort. That is still only 15 million bad guys or girls. Do we really understand that ?

We are a good if not great place. We have accomplished so much in a relatively short period of time of time. We are a nation of good and caring people even if we don’t toot our own horns. And that kids is how I define my pursuit of happiness. Happy Birthday!

As always 

Ted The Great 

Factoids: 

We had 2.5 million people in the 13 colonies  250 years ago. Today we are 342 million strong. The U.S. Census Bureau identifies nearly 1,500 specific race and ethnicity groups. However, because the U.S. does not track legal “nationality” on its census, the exact number of nationalities living in the country aligns with the roughly 195 countries recognized globally, with residents from nearly every nation on Earth represented. We at one point were all immigrants. 

We have beaten numerous diseases including  polio, HIV,COVID et al. We have made extraordinary advances in fighting cancer. We have figured out a way to replace almost every body part. We want to live longer but still haven’t quite figured out how to live well. In extending life we have no idea how to care for an aging populace. 

We have powered our economy by natural gas first, then oil, electric power, atomic power, wind power, solar power and who know what else in the future. Air conditioning ,manufacturing, AI are insatiable. Do we come to a screeching halt because we have outstripped or ability to create power? I hope not. 

There have been over 12 million patents issued in our history. There are 16 million worldwide. A better mousetrap? There is always room. 41% of tech related patents are from foreign born inventors. Overall there have been approximately 800,000 patents in the last 25 years.

Immigrants have been behind 25% of them. 

I could go on but……..