I was changing the bedclothes this morning when it occurred to me that I don't usually do this on a Saturday. Then it occurred to me that I don't have a regular day for changing the bedclothes anyway, so Saturday is as good a day as any.
While I was having occurrences, I started to muse. I realised that I deliberately avoid doing routine jobs on a set day. Of course, there are lots of things that happen on the same day or every week or month, that's not quite what I mean, and when I had a cleaner she, or the two of us together, usually changed the beds and that was perforce on one of the days she came, but I try slightly too hard not to get into any sort of comfortable routine.
The Sage, for example, is quite happy to have the same thing for breakfast every day. I might do that for a week or so, but after that I'm terribly bored with toast or porridge or poached egg or whatever, even if it's something I like. Well, of course it's something I like, I wouldn't be eating a breakfast I didn't like.
The Headteacher was saying a few weeks ago that what he likes so much about his job is the variety. He said this when our meeting had been interrupted by several different urgent matters, each requiring his attention within a short time. After each interruption, he effortlessly returned to our discussion, not having lost his thread in the least. I suppose it's a bit the same with me.
Not that I'm saying it's a good thing - I mean, it's one thing to have a job with plenty of variety but I rather think it's a fault, or at least a weakness, to be so fixed on change that I can't bear to do a routine job on the same day each week in case I get into a rut. Frankly, I think it's silly. I can't think of any reason for it either, it's not as if my mother was either too rigid or too undisciplined so I'm not rebelling, nor do I know nothing different.
When my children were very young, I avoided a routine for them too. But now, having observed a lot of parents and babies, I realise that babies actually like routine. Maybe life would have been easier for us all if they'd known what to expect day after day. I'd have found it hopelessly dull to start with, but perhaps I'd have preferred it myself after a while. I think I'm a bit old to change my way of thinking.
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3 comments:
Routines are great for mundane necessary things that have to be done in order for life things to run smoothly.
It frees one up to be creative the rest of the time.
Mind you, if one doesn't have that urge/need, then I suppose one gets one's creativity from creatively managing one's routine.
Or something.
Laundry: Sunday.
House cleaning (such as it is): Monday.
Tuesday: Blog post.
Everything else: as needed.
That's a very interesting thought. I don't think I like routines either - as soon as one gets settled I want to escape from it! And if something is happening routinely (like grandbaby minding twice a week), I want to keep a day or so empty for possibilities to happen.
But we do always have curry on Monday even if we didn't have a roast on Sunday for some reason.
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