The Routine

Since coming back from Paris, I've slowly fallen back into my normal routine.

Routines are very helpful. They keep us from having to rethink our schedule of activities anew every single day. If every work day I get up at the same time, drink coffee and read the paper for the same amount of time, shower and get dressed in the same amount of time, I can be safely assured of getting to work on time. Doing all the things I have to do in the morning in the same order every day reduces the risk that I'll forget something. All good things.

But routines lead to ruts. Getting up and going through my morning routine every day doesn't mean I have to eat the same things for breakfast every day, but I almost always do. It doesn't mean I have to drive to work over exactly the same route every day, but I almost always do. Ruts are bad.

Being in Paris on vacation made me realize that I have the capacity, the capability, to add small measures of variety to each day. I resolved that I would remember that when I returned, and would try to Paris-ize my life a little each day. To eat a long, different lunch. To take a walk in the afternoon. To go out and enjoy the sun, even for a few minutes.

But most days I don't remember to do that, even though Paris is only two and a half weeks distant. The demands of "real life" -- work, chores, family -- seem to have a dulling effect on my inspiration and resourcefulness. The weight of the everyday -- the decisions, issues, deadlines, and demands (even very politely delivered ones) -- make it hard to remember to surface every so often. I haven't learned how to remember to rise from immersion in my obligations to breathe every so often, out in the openness of bigger life, to remember to create some Parisian moments every day: to create Parisian moments as part of the routine.

Perhaps this represents lack of imagination or creativity on my part, some personality deficit. Or maybe it's more universal, something everyone struggles with. Whichever, I'm resolving to try to break my normal routines a little more frequently. Wish me luck -- I sure don't want to end up like my friend the Grump.