Habit, I am thy creature

I like to think that I'm above stuff like habits.  I mean, brushing teeth and reading the Bible is good, but I've always had this vague opinion about myself that I could mix things up in my life and it would be no big deal.

Then I either got older or realized my habits for what they are:  habits.

This is super deep, I know.

There's an intersection I go through fairly often.  From that intersection there are two ways I could get home.  I could turn left, or go straight.  Both ways are probably comparable in time, though I guess I don't know exactly.  Anyhow, if I'm at that intersection coming home from the nursing home, I turn right.  If I'm there coming home from one of my Sunday school drop-offs, I go straight.

And I have no idea why.  I just do.

The same reason, probably, that there are some streets where I always drive in the left lane, even though I traditionally believe in driving in the right lane unless I'm passing someone.  It's a weird habit thing.

But it's interesting to think about habits at this point in the year.  People keep asking me what resolutions I made this year.

Resolutions?  Haha, ain't nobody got time for that.

But seriously, maybe I should be re-patterning parts of my life.  Because clearly, somewhere in the back portion of my brain, I love being a habitual person.  Regardless of whether or not I think I need habits or not, I make habits, and stick with them.  Imagine how awesome it would be if I made and kept good habits throughout my whole life!

Now I just have to decide if turning right is the good habit, or if going straight is.

It feels like a hard decision, actually.

I should probably eat less cookies.  Particularly when they're cute.

This brand is my brand

I don't usually think of myself as picky about brands. Usually.

However, the other night I was spending the night at my Grandma's house. It got to be like 10:00 and suddenly I realized that I was starving. I'd had a hot dog at about 4:00, and no food since then. So I figured I'd go down to the kitchen and find myself a snack. Looking forward to a nice bowl of cereal or something (other snack items at my grandma's house include things like prunes and joint wellness drinks, so cereal was about the top of the line), and then I realized something: I had already brushed my teeth, and I wasn't going through that again.

So I didn't eat. I laid awake for a while staring at the ceiling, my stomach rumbling a little bit.

Why was it such a big deal that I had already brushed my teeth? Usually if I've already brushed my teeth but something is worth eating (or I'm starving) I'll just eat and brush again. But that night at my grandma's, I'd forgotten a very important item. Toothpaste.

I don't usually forget important things like toothpaste, just so you know. But I'd forgotten that I'd finished up the tube in my purse, and I'd just expected to use that one. So when I got to my grandma's house, all there was to use was Procter&Gamble's (and I shudder to say the name, even) Crest.

Yeah, I dislike Crest toothpaste. A lot. I've never met a Crest flavor I like, for one thing. And it doesn't feel as effective as Colgate. Also, most importantly, it's not Colgate.

I am a huge Colgate fan. Have been for years. There's no real reason for it, all my dentist connections (and I have many) claim that there is no difference. But, alas, I find the chasm so wide between the two that I hesitate to even approach unto it. So, at my grandma's, I had just dealt with it like the adult I was and used the vile stuff. But doing that twice? So not happening.

So there we have it. Little ol' picky me, possessing cleanness of teeth (though not Amos 4:6 style) but willing to get it through only one brand. One day, Colgate should hire me to be a spokesperson. Because I'll tell you what: I surely do talk them up enough. I even get into arguments with my (very few, and very far between) friends who prefer Crest to the world's best.

Take that, Procter&Gamble. William Colgate was smarter than you.

Actually, Mr. Procter's first name was William as well. Haha, that's funny, I never thought of that before.