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I had a male visitor the other day. He asked me why, as a single man living alone, I still put the toilet seats down. “Well,” I replied, “I guess it’s just a habit.” I’ve wondered that myself, but, as I mentioned in a previous column, my doctor told me that one way survivors made it was by just doing the things the same way you have for the last 50 years. That’s what I try to do.
Now, I’ve never personally sat on the cold porcelain myself, but I have heard the screams and endured the wrath of those who have, so it was a habit I picked up. I even found myself putting the seats down in public facilities, but that was a little too much.
I guess I’m a person of habit like most of us; well, maybe more so than most. (I think there’s a psychological term for that.) My wife was amazed that I always picked up my clothes, hung up my jacket, and threw my dirty socks in the wash. I wasn’t always like that. During my high school years my sweaters always had that little hump in the back from being hung over the bedpost at night. When I got up in the morning, I would dig through the dirty socks on the floor to pick the cleanest ones to wear. Coming home from school I left a trail of clothing to my bedroom.
Then I joined the army! If nothing more, military service teaches one how to be neat. They used the punishment/reward system to perfection much like training dogs. A sloppy area was a reason to be “gigged.” Too many gigs and there would be no weekend pass. It didn’t take long to learn the system for most guys. I don’t know if others were indoctrinated as thoroughly as I was, but it sure lasted. I’ve always been for some kind of mandatory service if for no other reason than to teach guys (and girls?) how to take care of themselves and their belongings.
Someone should write a kitchen Murphy’s Law book for the kitchen. You remember the Murphy’s Law books that were out a while back. “When you dial a wrong number, it’s never busy,” was one of my favorites. I’ve noticed several things in the kitchen that fit that syndrome. If you put a cup with a handle in the microwave to boil water, it always stops with the handle facing the back of the microwave! That’s one item I’ve noticed over and over again. I’m sure there’s some kind of ratio to the amount of stickiness to the area it covers when it spills too.
Are you keeping up with your health? Winona has a number of good areas to walk and exercise and many of them are cheap or free. We have the wonderful bike-path system for summertime and many indoor facilities for winter. Take advantage of them while you can! alnada2704@gmail.com
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