We are creatures of habit. This morning the sound of our clock alarm awakened us. We rolled over, pushed the snooze button and closed our eyes for nine more minutes. When the alarm sounded again, we sat up, placed our feet gently on the ground and got out of the bed on the same side as usual. We then walked to the bathroom, stepped into the shower and went through the familiar routine of washing our hair first, then our faces and finally our bodies, preparing ourselves for the day. Following the regular rituals of hair combing and teeth brushing, and, depending on gender, shaving or make-up application, we strolled into the kitchen where we consumed our favorite cereal with little chunks of banana sprinkled on top, covered with two-percent milk. Some of us had time to open the Sunday paper, glimpsing at the CVS and Eckerd advertisements to learn what is on sale this week before looking at the front-page headlines. We then got into our cars, drove down familiar streets and arrived at the church. We walked through the front doors, along the center isle and sat down -- on the same pew where we sat last week, and the week before and the week before that.
We like our routines. We prefer familiar ground to unknown territory. We shop at the same grocery store because we know that salsa is on isle three, tortilla chips are on isle nine and ice cream is on the last isle -- isle 14. We leave our clothes at the same dry cleaner each week because they have been starching our cotton shirts to crisp perfection for years, and we know that a coupon is always included in Saturday’s paper. Our habits and patterns for life are as predictable as the evening weather forecast on a rainy day. We are strategic planners who like to know exactly what a day will hold. We fancy familiar people and places. We find ourselves unsettled and upset when things do not go our way. The sudden, unexpected, intrusive curve balls have the ability to throw us for a loop.
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