Creature of Habit
I am a creature
of habit.
I leave my
keys and wallet in my hat. I leave my
hat by the breakfast table. If for some
reason I fail to leave any of these items in their designated place I will
panic and probably not remember where I left them for hours.
I am a
creature of habit.
I don’t
think it is just me, I don’t think it is age, I think we all become creatures
of habit and if something upsets the routine we are temporarily lost.
The creature
of habit characteristic has never been more evident than on our recent trip to
Aruba, which by the way is one happy island.
On the first
day I noticed the seat to the toilet was left up. How unusual.
I know it wasn’t me, I never leave the seat up. I’m on my third marriage, I have given up the
seat battle, I always put it down. I am a creature of habit.
Why, I
wondered, did Mrs. C put the seat up?
Before the day
was over Mrs. C hollered at me.
“JOE!! Just because we are on
vacation, you still have to put the seat down!”
“I thought it was you putting the
seat up.”
“Why would I ever put the seat up, I
can’t stand and pee…remember.”
“I know, that is why I found it
strange. Maybe it is some automatic
thing because I always put the seat down, even when no one else is home I put
the seat down because I am a creature of habit.”
“It is you. You are leaving the seat up. Just put it down
when you are done”
“I don’t think it is me, it doesn’t
make any sense.”
Later that
day I realized it was me. Toilets at
home have the flush handle on the left-hand side of the toilet. The toilets in Aruba have a button to push on
the top of the toilet. I generally flush
with my left hand and drop the seat with my right hand.
In Aruba, pushing
the button on top to flush completely threw me off my game. I pushed the button with my seat dropping
hand and failed to drop the seat. I
figured it out though and changed my habit…push the button with left hand, drop
seat with the right.
I am a fast
learner.
Back in New
Jersey I heard Mrs. C holler.
“JOE!! Why are you not flushing the
toilet?”
“What are you yelling about, I always
push the button on the…oh, never mind…sorry.”
I am a
creature of habit.
I think habits are hard to break, although I'm thankful for a few since the old memory isn't what it was. Keep smiling, that's all we can do!
ReplyDeleteAnd it doesn't take long to pick up new habits.
ReplyDeleteGood habits are our servants, until we end up in a new situation and they betray us.
ReplyDeleteI suspect you really like Aruba, a happy island.
ReplyDeleteI was amused by your post because I have those push button flush toilets in my condo and the regular levers in Florida. Hasn't been quite the adjustment for me I only raise or lower the seat for cleaning, but I do have to stop and think for the first time or two.
Oh my Joe I had to laugh at this one because I can totally relate, a button on top would definitely throw off your game, I about panicked when I used a toiled with the flush handle on the right...I stood there for a while waiting for an automatic flush before I noticed the handle on the wrong side.
ReplyDeleteLol, funny the things we do without thinking.
ReplyDeleteFunny post!!
ReplyDeleteYou had me giggling from "I’m on my third marriage, I have given up the seat battle," till the end. Fun post.
ReplyDeleteI'll give you a pass on this one. It only takes one little thing out of order to throw off my whole routine. Not flushing. I've got that mastered. But if I drop the soap in the middle of a shower, I'm discombobulated. So many things we do without thinking become complicated when we have to think.
ReplyDeleteWell, at least you ain't a two-timimg four-flusher
ReplyDeleteI like my habits, life runs so much more smoothly with the routine functioning.
ReplyDeleteRoutines are what keeps us from going crazy!
ReplyDelete