Fallmode has requested that her readers follow in her footsteps and list their habits/addictions (this topic that was originally begun by Clarity25, at least in "this neck of the DiaryLand woods"). I found Fallmode's list to be quite entertaining.
Before continuing, I must confess that I have a big dislike for habits and addictions, especially those that are unhealthy and/or stereotypical in nature. To those of you who have unhealthy and/or stereotypical habits/addictions... No offense.
No, I'm not trying to be a squeaky-clean saint. No way. Not me. It's just that I grew up watching adults (seemingly every other one) selfishly indulging in bad habits as if there would be no tomorrow without them, and it was a major turn off. I just didn't want to be like them when I grew up.
Not all of the items in my list can actually be called habits, and none are blatantly unhealthy. Some are just regular routines or are favorite indulgences that I cannot avoid when they are placed in front of me. If they aren't in front of me, then I don't think of them (most of the time). Several of them may seem somewhat silly. I have decided to ignore the part of me that doesn't like looking silly... and publish them anyway.
As you are reading these and possibly thinking, "Nerd!" please keep in mind that I scored a 19 on the nerd test, meaning that I have very little nerd in me. :-)
Habits that came and went:
1. Eating ice - This was definitely a habit (but certainly not unhealthy or stereotypical). I first started eating ice in the very hot summer at the end of my 4th-grade year. I didn't just eat it out of a glass. I would actually get an ice tray out of the freezer every hour or two and eat a few of the ice chips. The colder the ice, the better. I loved it when it cracked in my mouth. This was an irregular habit, though. I would go a year or two without eating ice, then I would begin again for a few months or a year, then stop again for a year or two. I am no longer "addicted" to ice and have not been for quite some time.
2. When I was in grade school and early junior high, I started going to sleep with the sound of a fan running. This habit began during the same hot summer that I began eating ice. Besides the cooling effect of the blowing air, I was lulled to sleep by the white noise. It also drowned out the sound of the TV and of my parents talking in the living room. I outgrew it by the time I reached high school.
3. In about the seventh grade, I started listening to the radio all night long. I would keep at a barely audible level (above the sound of the fan, though), so that I felt as if I was imagining the music rather than really hearing it. If I had set the volume any louder than that, it would have kept me awake instead of lulling me to sleep. That being said, there were many times when a favorite song of mine would come on in the middle of the night. The familiar sound would wake me up, and I would lie there in total comfort and peace, listening until it ended. Amazingly, I was always able to fall asleep again fairly quickly afterward.
Continuing habits and indulgences:
4. Working on my Macintosh computer (writing, scanning photos, surfing the internet, etc.). - Using a Macintosh is like driving a Mercedes instead of a Windows cement mixer. They are simply so much fun to use that most Mac users find themselves making up reasons to "drive" somewhere just for the sheer pleasure of it.
5. Peanut butter cookies. - The only earthly cookie endorsed by the gods.
6. Eating breakfast - I cannot even conceive of starting my day without eating a bowl of cereal (or, every once in a while, a heavily sugared bowl of oatmeal with raisins and cinnamon). As for my favorite cereal, absolutely nothing beats Golden Grahams. I cannot get enough of them when they are in the house. Regrettably, they're too expensive to eat on a regular basis.
7. Showering in the morning - "A habit or an indulgence?" you ask. Yes! Definitely both a habit and an indulgence. That hot water performs amazing magic on my sleep-dulled senses. It dramatically increases my energy level. I can almost feel it washing away the negative "vibes" that have built up over the previous 24 hours. Oh yeah... My friends probably appreciate the "unintended" side effect of my lack of body odor, too.
8. Reading in bed every night before going to sleep - Since I was a very young boy (when comic books were my favorite reading material), I have read in bed before going to sleep. In fact, the only way I could fall asleep was to keep reading until the book dropped out of my hands. Now, for the first time in my life, this habit has suffered a major setback. For the past several months, I have been almost completely unable to read in bed (or anywhere else either). Instead, I lie there and stare at the several hundred books on my bookshelves (they line the walls of my bedroom) and try to figure out which one looks even slightly intriguing. Thus far, none of them have. Because of this, I end up just lying there, staring at them (and the ceiling and the walls) until I cannot hold my eyes open anymore (this quasi-meditative state is almost comforting in its own way). On the rare occasions that I have tried to read, I usually had to give up after only a few pages, and I wouldn't bother with that book anymore. I sincerely hope this is just a passing phase.
9. Cursing the majority of other drivers - This is completely justifiable behavior in this region because most drivers here are long past the age of retirement, and they all drive with an attitude that clearly says, "I am your elder. I have earned the right to be self-centered, selfish and oblivious, and you have to respect me for it -- as you tag along behind me at 25 mph in a 45-mph zone." When these elderly drivers pull out in front of you, they are completely unconcerned with the fact that they are going to be holding up a long line of traffic (and around here it is their evil goal ALWAYS to pull out in front of you, even if you are the only other driver for a mile in either direction).
10. Muting Bush - Very strictly kept GOOD habit - For several years now, I have muted the TV news whenever there is even a hint that President Bush is going to speak -- even if it is only for a few seconds. His twangy voice, his obvious lies (including sins of omission), his smugness, his juvenile obnoxiousness, his incoherent speaking style and his self-righteousness drive me insane (notwithstanding his secretly taped admission that he used drugs in his youth). Believe it or not, I just now muted him while writing this paragraph because CNN is running a clip of him speaking in Brussels, Belgium. He will soon be within earshot of Clarity and Eric in Germany, relatively speaking.
11. Sometimes I talk too much when in the presence of others, especially if I am in a hurry or nervous.
12. Not being serious when visiting with others. This only happens in person, not when I am writing to them.
13. Sneaking out of a bar or house party whenever I am with a group of friends. My friends frequently try to talk me out of going home if I announce my intentions to them; so I have learned to keep my intentions a secret. I eventually just sneak out the back door after going to the restroom. It is also possible that I occasionally sneak out in order to avoid the possibility that they won't care if I am leaving. :-)
That's it. It was a struggle to come up with that many. I guess people's habits are more noticeable to those who live and work with them every day. However, I'm sure very few of us would allow someone else to list our habits for the whole world to read. N'est pas?
