Sunday, April 24, 2005
The "Norm"
I have friends that are very happy, staying up til all hours of the night and, on a whim, just to jump in the car and head off to Portland. I have other friends that eat dinner at 8:00 at night. Some of the people I know eat popcorn, pepperoni, and cheese and call it a good supper. Me on the other hand, I'm so "routine" it's scary. We are in the habit of eating dinner and 4:00 in the afternonn. Sometimes a little later but NEVER later than 6:00. We are in lounge wear soon after supper and have certain TV shows that are watched about five nights out of the week. I get up in the morning and after getting ready for the day I come out to the kitchen and fix oatmeal and turn on the computer to check email and blog if I have time before getting the kid off to school. On weekends, sleeping in means "whenever the cat walks on my chest". I rarely go out of the house after dark. Bedtime is usually the same time every night. My family life is very routine and it works for us. I have always complained about the way my mother does exactly the same thing day after day, week after week. Dad is the same way. Every morning off to Irving's to make the coffee and after hanging out there for an hour or two, he heads off to the hill to check for the deer. Mom gets up and takes the same exact steps to turn on the light and get the paper and light up and start the coffee. The rest of the day I could set my watch just by watching her and what she's doing. Every Tuesday and Sunday to beano, and it's forbidden that anything else, a.e. a party of some kind or cookout or kids sporting event, interfere with any of her normalities. I have always told myself that my life would NEVER be so routine. And look at me now. Here I am doing the same things. So, I'm ok with the way my family is and I accept the fact that everyone does their own thing and it works for them the same as me. So why do I see the neighbors out after dark having a good time and think "what in hell are they doing out so late? Don't they ever go to bed?" It bugs me! Maybe because there are so many times that I wish I wasn't so Routine! Now the problem is trying to figure out how to break away from the "Norm" and add a little spontaneity to life. I think it would be a good thing.
