It’s safe to say that I live a pretty safe life.
It also occurs to me how odd it is to have a thought like that while standing on the surface of a planet that is hurtling through the universe, constantly a few cosmic degrees from collision with objects, a degree or two away from tipping the balance away from being habitable, terminally subject to the faulty and fantastic abilities and flaws of a dominant species that is, at this moment, treating hand washing as some kind of revolutionary movement. Like, seriously folks, it’s been around awhile. Are we all that new to this?
I’m sure there’s some kind of deep discussion about human nature and how the hierarchy of needs dictates our tendencies and drives towards a safe life. Yeah, that discussion is somewhere in this, it’s just that I’m not interested in having it. For the moment, let’s just acknowledge that, in one way or another, we all strive to find security in some way and that the bulk of human innovation has been bent in the direction of making life easier and therefore more secure.
The trouble is, we also have this other part of our genetic make up that pushes us towards change, discovery, and the unknown that creates a tension in our lives. Or at least it should. Otherwise, we really aren’t much fun at parties.
I’ve written about working on my daily creative routine and getting into good habits, which I do strongly believe in. However, I’m also coming to realize that I need to leave plenty of room in my day (and life) for the unexpected to happen. After all, if I routine my way into a color-by-numbers day every single day, there’s not much room for anything else, is there?
So one of the things I’m trying to do within my routines and daily organization that make it possible for me to be a functional and productive human being is to leave some space for strange things to happen. The unexpected or unusual. Or maybe it’s just an excuse for daydreaming and pointless wandering. So be it.
Anyone else out there finding time to make room in their routines and habits for the unexpected to happen?