"To affect the quality of the day,
that is the highest of arts." -Henry David Thoreau
It's funny how we can get so stuck in our day to day routines, we don't know what we're missing. In spite of our ruts, when we wake up each morning there are an infinite number of possibilities for what we can do, and how our day can go. And guess what? We're in charge. Most of us become automatons, doing the same things day in & out, week after week, without questioning or thinking much about it. Slaves of habit. Routines are great- they give us a sense of self-discipline and security, so they're not necessarily "bad." I've been noticing how important it is to consciously break out of our routines on a regular basis, though. In other words, it's good to
make a routine of breaking routines.
I'm basically a spontaneous type of person, so it's more natural for me to 'go with the flow' and break routines. I can do things 'on the fly' so to speak. When I suggested something else for today, outside of what we'd planned, I noticed my husband had a harder time with it. He seemed thrown-off and even agitated mentally, but he acknowledged that and just pushed through it. He was annoyed, but open. We both saw humor in his sense of agitation.The usual 'Friday thing' was for him to drive Amelie to a play group at the local town hall, and then for him to write at the coffee shop for several hours. We'd planned to take our usual walk first, but I proposed something different-- instead, all three of us dropped Amelie off at her play group, then took a walk together by the creek at the center of our village before going to the coffee shop.. together. Lots of togetherness today! It turned out to be such a great decision because the creek is flowing, and we all had so much fun together. Andrew hopped and climbed on stones, played with sticks, and we followed the creek down a ways. It was magical. I enjoyed just sitting and listening to the sound of the water flowing because it's so soothing. It was an unexpected treat of beauty and exploration, much better than if we'd followed the "usual routine" that we are automatically inclined to. I rarely ever regret breaking routines, and my husband was happy to have pushed himself outside the idea of what he thought the day would look like.
I like to consider how each day can be different from the last. Newness keeps things fresh, interesting, and it's great on the mind and spirit. Sometimes it can be something very small, like taking a different route home from work, or trying a new recipe for dinner. Whatever it is, I like to notice my ruts because those are blocks to a zillion other more fun and interesting possibilities.
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| Dad and Andrew had a contest to see who could hold their hand in the icy cold water the longest. Of course, Andrew won! |
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| This photo is proof of the slight "change in plans agitation" he was experiencing |
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| Just look at my two little Forest Faeries, hahahahaa! |
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| Strawberry Creek is in the heart of the village of Idyllwild, California |
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| Andrew was measuring water levels with his sticks, and hopping rocks |
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