A Meditation on Routine=good or bad

My last meditation provoked by reading Philosophy for Polar Explorers by Erling Kagge is about routine.

I completely tore up the pages of my life in Chicago, nearly 40 years there, to fly out to Eugene with a bicycle and a suitcase to “start over.” Yet, once again, I began to build routine.

We are creatures of habit. I imagine Neanderthals lounging around in caves bored, but also satisfied that for a brief moment they do not have to run from dinosaurs or whatever danger was right outside their stone walls. We all take comfort in a set list that is settled and gives a familiar feeling of structure.

It’s why I cycle. Yes, it is easy to feel like a machine, part of the cogs on the freewheel, a link in the chain, so to speak. But, I never had to question my existence or what to do that day: I woke up to pedal, I ate to pedal, I slept to wake up and pedal. It was about getting from A to B. It was that easy.

So in Eugene, embarking on my new life I established a routine. Tea, stretch, news.

Now in Chicago, in my  old life, I’d in-take too much news, constantly re-freshing. Here in Eugene, I’d check in briefly each morning for a 10-min. round-up and then be good to go. My life or day didn’t revolve around Trump (thank God!!) or Biden now for that matter. It’s info and good to go. My routine of TV in the evening has also evaporated. Namely because my roommate comes home and loves to game. I’ve abandoned the TV and livingroom to him, which is fine by me. The old routine of losing hours sitting and watching a screen has been converted to reading and cross-stitch while listening to music or podcasts. I’ll occasionally stream something on my laptop while cross-stitching. It’s how I’ve managed to read about a hundred books and finish 2 cross-stitch projects during my sojourn out here.

So in Michigan where I’m going next: get ready for disruption and new habits!