A Slower Pace

For those of you reading this that think that I am too optimistic, too positive, too Pollyannaish, I’ll reveal a little of the melancholy side of me.

While setting up my eliptical machine in the basement (it’s been over a month since I’ve routinely exercised), I needed a few technical hardware pieces so I can set up the TV. I cannot just exercise like a hamster on a treadmill without something to distract me. When I was young, it was the competitiveness of a good game (playing basketball, football, tennis, softball, whatever). But now that I am older and have less time, I still need to exercise but don’t have the luxury of those distractions. Enter TV. I record content onto my ReplayTV digital video recorder (like T*vo only better — notice how T*vo is a four letter word), and watch it while I work out. Suddenly, the show ends and I notice that I am a little tired and sweaty. Perfect work out for me.

Anyway, in this quest for setting it up, I was going to head to Radio Shack for something for the TV setup. I called them to inquire when they close. NOTE: it is 6:07pm. The guy answering informs me that they close at 6pm. Alas, my quest will be postponed til tomorrow. It made me yearn for the quick trip down to my local Radio Shack that was open semi-late in a nicely apportioned Thousand Oaks yuppie strip mall. Manicured trees with an anchor grocery store and store, the required coffee shop, small time donut shop, banksomethingorother and a handful of mom and pop establishments. And it was only 4 minutes from my driveway. Convenience but also a very nice familiar feel…..like your hometown. And then I realised that I purposely left that. That thought then migrated towards my regular weekday routine — all hometown based. Getting up early at 5:30a for a cardio workout, feeding the dogs, picking up after them, breakfast with the wireless laptop being fed by the latest broadband news, a quick shower, my coveted 3 minute commute, regular parking space, fairly normal work, the usual default lunch at home (unless I had previous plans), more work, dinner on the table when I got home, help the kids with homework, horse around afterwards, tuck them into bed, unwind by watching ah hour of stupid TV, a little reading, a quick check of my PalmPilot for the next days events and early to bed. While that might be boring to some people, it was great for me. And I am not only missing the routine, I am missing the environment that routine took place in. It was familiar, comfortable, safe. All that with family and friends nearby.

Logically, I still know we made the right decision. However, there are a few times where emotions surface and a longing for the familiar hometown is strong. I realised that rituals are important for most of us. It’s bad enough when our ritual is disrupted, but throwing us into a different environment at the same time really impacts us…..at least it is me. It will calm down the sooner I get into a routine. But the hometown familiarity will take a bit longer.

For those that are still in that familiar hometown environment that we left – family, friends, neighbors, co-workers – I greet you with a “Hi!”. We think of you often and miss you.

…..Dan at aslowerpace