My Radical Routine Life

Yesterday I did something I typically try to refrain from doing at all costs: I read someone else’s blog. This is hard for me since I get good-writer envy, but I figured I’d tool around with what was out there.

As it turned out, what was one man’s casual transition, was the perfect subject of my latest entry. This particular writer was discussing a very common problem known as “delusional” people. And in his entry, he had commented that “life has a lot of down-time,” before slamming the next disillusioned Joe Schmoe.

Now I could easily go on and create my own post about the delusional people in my life – most recently the middle-aged man who was sitting next to me on the 7:57am Express Metra filling out his “Big D*** Competition” entry form for RAM Night Club. But that would be so rich in content, I’d prefer to put it in a book rather than a blog.

Instead, I’ll focus on that whole “life has a lot of down-time” thing.
How true is that? I mean, for the most part, I’m just hanging. And by “just hanging,” I mean taking part in what has now been established as my routine – a pattern of behavior that goes a little something like this: work, workout, relax, party, relax, repeat.

Not to generalize or anything, but I would imagine if you’re like me, then your life probably looks a little something like that as well – perhaps with a boyfriend/girlfriend and a hobby peppered in here and there. But what I’m starting to notice is that  more and more people are for some reason vehemently against the commonality that’s at the root of this all, and therefore, are quick to say that it’s the moments that shake things up in life that “truly define us.”

Unbeknownst to me, I decided to test this theory.

In the last three months I quit my job. Broke my lease. Ended my relationship of two years. Moved to a new state. Started a job in a brand new industry. Moved in with my parents in the suburbs. Moved out of my parent’s and to the city. Went from living alone to living with two people and a dog. Went from driving to work to taking a train. And the list of radical changes goes on…

So now the question becomes, do I feel like these moments defined me? No, they defined hell, actually.

Who likes breaking hearts? How fun is moving? Who would opt to live with their parents after years of being independent? Come on, people. I was thrust out of my perfectly happy life to put up with all this? Can you blame me for not wanting to award these times as the “defining moments” in my life?

In fact, the Oscar ought to go to My Down-Time for best directing my life. Because I’d do whatever humanly possible to not disrupt my down-time – after all, it probably accounts for 90% of my time on earth. The other 10% is reserved for awesome adventures a.k.a., utter disturbances.

It is my guess that most people my age have fallen into some pattern by now. The good ones are called routines. The bad ones are called ruts. And as much as we knock “routine living”, let’s face it, one radical change after the next is not all that it’s cracked up to be. Very rarely is your life full of a series of cave-diving excursions and swimming with the sharks. Unfortunately, these major moments have less fun and more strife attached to them than people prefer to acknowledge.

I don’t know about you, but it is my goal to find a routine that rocks and call it good. If you want to be part of it, let me know.