HABITS

A few years ago I read The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg, a wonderful book about how we form habits, how to unform them, and how powerful they are in our lives. In the intro to his book, the author tells a story I paraphrase here because it is an example of how habits run things that you'd never imagine they had anything to do with.  

A US Army Major used the power of habit (his book title) to stop dinner time riots in Kufa, Iraq. He observed that in late afternoon before the usual riot time, people gathered in the square and food vendors appeared. The crowd would grow restive until someone threw a bottle. Then all hell would break loose.

He asked to mayor to ban the food trucks. Gradually, as the crowd gathered, people looked around for food. Finding none, they gradually dispersed. No riot that night.

Keeping in mind how powerful, not to say insidious, habits are, I'm listing some of the habits I'm going to be struggling with after life returns to normal. Whatever that is.

HABITS I'LL HAVE TO BREAK

I used to do partial fasting a few days a week. This consisted of taking only coffee and various vitamins and supplements, essentially fasting until 1 or 2P.M. I did this 3 or 4 days a week. During the fast time I'd do a 50 minute core barre workout, or an hour of yoga, followed by 2 hours of Tennis live-ball. 

That's the habit I used to have. 

New habit: I've replaced this with slathering a hot baguette in sweet butter

and salt and dipping it unceremoniously into my large cup of French roast--one of as many as five I may have during the day. (See other habit about getting up time.) I cannot tell you how much I prefer this habit over the partial fast. 

I always woke up at 6:45 A.M. unless there was a reason to get up earlier--say a plane to catch.

New habit: I try to stay in bed until husband finishes his virtual workout, around 9:30 or 10 A.M.

I may get some coffee, but I drink it in bed and frequently fall back asleep.

Because I am, as the French coyly put it, of "a certain age" I must wear makeup. At least some eyeliner and lipstick so I don't look like an unpainted Kabuki mask. 

This has a dual effect of not scaring the grandkids and keeping me in a decent mood. Combined with fading vision, it helps me when I look in the mirror.

New habit: No makeup. Two things, I did try lipstick and when I put on my ONLY medical grade face mask, 

it got all lipsticky inside. 

Because I played tennis and worked out, I wore a bra to keep myself from flopping all over. (See earlier blog about other uses for bra elements.)

New habit: Because I no longer have an athletic life, I've abrogated bra use entirely.

As aforementioned, I am a certain age. I sometimes forget what day it is. In fact I once led a caravan of cars--all packed with edible delights-- to the Hollywood Bowl for a concert, on the wrong night. Come to think of it, I wasn't a certain age then, so this must be genetic. But that was only once in a while.

New habit: I have to ask husband what day it is--that is, if I care, which I don't.

I used to exercise some dietary restraint. I am a small person, and it would be easy to blimpify. Also, I prefer to be healthy. 

New Habit: bask in the glow of my refrigerator light for hours every day, pondering, choosing, daydreaming, and EATING. And let's not forget Godiva.

New habit: It is fantastic and wonderful and probably in a way lifesaving that there is so much free music and art online now. I listened to the Met Gala, especially Va, Pensiero, and I cried. I listened to New York, New York, and I cried. I saw French ballet dancers doing grandes battements in their apartments, and I cried. The new habit is I cry at everything including my grandson smearing himself with pea puree.

https://youtu.be/s7waGhujn44?list=RDCMUCYEMBG1B7K63_d_ZNwGzyzg

My sister lives in Paris. She was always very chic and much more sophisticated than I. But living there has liberated her to new heights and new joy. I visited in December, and it upped my game too. I composed my outfits more carefully. And never just dashed out for a random grocery item without some curation taking place. I brought the new style home and had fun with it even in Southern California where casual is a religion.

New habit: Sweats