Favourite Burner

One of the things I find interesting about writing a blog is that it forces you to think about why you do the things you do and why you do them the way that you do. That kind of sounds like a song lyric.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJn-Jl2ZeQU

Last week I read something that I have been thinking about since I read it. The question was “Do you have a favourite burner on your stove?” First I thought “What a stupid question!” and then I thought “The front left burner of course. What other option is there?”. Well, on our stove there are three other choices, but one is too hot, one is too small and the other is too far to the right. In point of fact, all of the burners work equally well and the right front burner gives the option of extra burner size if you want it for those large stock pots.

 

I have been thinking about why I do things the way I do them. For instance, this morning I was getting dressed and put my left leg into the pants first, followed by the right. I always dress this way but in the spirit of scientific discovery I took my pants off and put my right leg in first and the pants went on just fine. It felt a little weird doing it that way but I am sure that I could get used to it. I could, but I won’t because it is the wrong way to dress.

 

My right side is the dominant side so maybe that explains it. I work with lefty and if lefty fucks up then I can fall back by doing things the right way. Except the right way is left, or has been for most of six decades. I wonder what other things I do out of habit. I pretty much always walk the dog on the same route convincing myself that Buster prefers the smells he knows and likes to shit in a familiar place. Who doesn’t? A friend always walks her dog on a different route every day, thus confusing her dog and running the risk of running into a pack of feral dogs that will eat her dog and quite probably her.

 

I close the curtains at night because it is safer that way. That probably goes back to the lizard brain and wanting to be safe at night. I like to eat what I know and don’t really want to know what I eat. I have favourite items of clothing that probably should be thrown in the garbage but they are comfortable. I have a neon blue sweat shirt that I like to wear when I get sick because blue makes me feel better, not actually better, but mentally better.

 

I guess I just like to be comfortable and know what is coming into my life. It isn’t very exciting, but I can live with that and I know just where I belong. Things will change eventually, the kids will put me in a home or the ground and I won’t be allowed to make decisions for myself any longer. Come to think of it, that doesn’t sound much different from being married.