Routine

   Routines, we all have them. No matter how spontaneous we like to think we are most of us have well established routines. The routine adds rhythm to our life, gives meaning to the mundane, and brings order to what otherwise could be a chaotic task. The routine of our lives brings us peace and a sense of purpose. When for whatever reason all of that is upset it can turn our lives in to unmanageable series of events that just wear us down.

   I believe one of the best ways to start over is to reestablish old routines or to establish new ones.  Routine brings us comfort and a sense of normalcy. The routine of waking up the kids and getting them ready for school, cooking dinner for the family, and getting the kids to bed have to be replaced. New routines need to be put in place and all of the shared responsibilities now become your own. As a man some these responsibilities can be quite cumbersome and downright puzzling.

   I am now responsible for my own laundry. Clean Laundry used to magically appear in all the spots I was used to getting clean clothes. Imagine my surprise when all of that ceased. I was puzzled at first, but the fetid moldy pile in the corner of my bedroom told me what the problem was. I figured out the solution and now I have somewhat of a routine for clean laundry. When I run out of clean clothes I wash the dirty ones. But that is just one small example of the myriad details that I now have to attend to that before were split, maybe not fifty-fifty, but divided nonetheless.

   I am focusing on routines now, trying to bring order to my life and bring back a new sense of normalcy. I cannot tell you how many times I have sat in my recliner and thought of all things I no longer have to do. I cannot tell you how many times during my former life I wished I did not have all of those things to do. Funny now how much I miss all the everyday mundane chores and responsibilities that go along with sharing a life with someone. Now I pray for the return of the busy hectic life. I long for the scheduled monotony of a life that revolves around others. Now, all I have to take care of day-to-day is me, and I am doing a poor job of it. I will get a handle on it as I establish new routines, figure out what I forgot to take care of and if my prayers are answered soon I will share those routines with someone again as I start over, over 50.