Maybe that's why hamsters are perfectly content to run on their little wheels without ever seeming to get anywhere. Maybe they see something in that wheel we don't, in the way it comes around at them, reliable as always. We're all hamsters on the globe anyway.
On the other hand, there's something aggravating about the phrase "It's that time of year again" — aaaurrggghh! Cliché overload. Particularly when said in the same breath as tax season, holidays, or gutter maintenance.
Are you a creature who finds comfort in routine? What is the routine that grounds you best? Or are you the restless soul who strikes out in search of something novel when things become too familiar?
P.S. Like clockwork, a week after I published this post, here it is in full bee-magnet mode.
I think routine is good in some things -- the sun will come up, my husband will be there, spring will come eventually . . . But I also get itchy for something new. I like to learn new things, try new things, go new places. So if I were a hamster, I'd be running on that wheel, but looking around for a new wheel at the same time!
ReplyDeleteWe are hamsters of the same breed!
DeleteOh, my. Look at us, both blogging in our separate spheres. How odd and unexpected. Is this called coming full circle?
ReplyDeleteI've missed you, friend. Perhaps we can be blog buddies now that real life has sent us in such different directions? Or I can just stalk you silently, if you prefer.
www.nearnormalcy.com
We were destined to meet again!
DeleteHow funny that our Alexa audience profiles are nearly identical save for a 10-year age gap.
Hee. That sounds exactly right to me.
DeleteI think one needs some sort of routine to ground you. But every now and then hamster-me will do a back pedal, just because.
ReplyDeleteHamster-me, that made me giggle. And the image of a hamster trying to back pedal, too.
Deletesome routines are great, other times I like to do just whatever I fancy.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time I tried to vary my route to work even if it meant more miles. Either I was being open to exploring or I just needed any excuse not to start working!
DeleteMy husband is all about routine, but I am trying to nudge him off that hamster wheel every now and then. Some routines make life easier (always put car keys in same place). Some make life boring -- well you can name your own.
ReplyDeleteKnew a fella who parked in the same spot at work for years. I asked him if he ever got bored with that, and he explained to my 25-year-old self how it was one less thing to have to remember. My midlife self tells my then-self: Duh.
DeleteI think it's perfectly natural and human that we seek comfort through routine -it's what gives most folks a sense of security. For me, I think I get restless or bored with routine - perhaps a leftover and/or tribute to the chaos I experienced growing up, lol. So jobs that have allowed me a lot of autonomy have worked well for me...still trying to figure out what's the "magic formula" for my personal life...
ReplyDeleteInteresting that we have opposite experiences at this point in our lives. I've branched out from employment into entrepreneurship, so if I were to ever need to work a day job again, I'd likely pick a routine-heavy position. That way I could save my creative energy for my evenings.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal life as a married person for the last 25 years, the routine of having breakfast out on weekends and homecooked dinners during the week is a great source of comfort to both of us.
Lovely photos as usual! Hmmmm, am I creature of routine and habit?...Absolutely. I thrive in predictability and organization. However, as with most human beings, I'm sure I'm a contradiction too. Despite my need for 'predictability', I also yearn for something novel time and again and I have to admit that I don't like getting bored by people..intellectually that is. Oh now I get it!...that's cos I want to 'figure people out', like puzzles to ORGANIZE!! What an epiphany!! Hahahaha, Thanks Marie :-))))
ReplyDeleteYou have something there! I think one thing that would keep me from getting bored with an essentially humdrum job would be if the people around me were interesting. I love how you related psychology to puzzles.
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