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.