My goal for this summer has been order and routine. I figure if I can get into a physical routine, orderly thought processes, instead of simply reacting instinctively to external stimuli as I have for the past few months, are sure to follow.
This is one reason I planned a month in Europe. There is a deliberate orderliness to life there that can’t be matched in the States. Maybe it’s the fact that there is planning involved: days are organized around public transportation schedules and the times shops are open. Some might think that this makes life more complicated. I think it simplifies everything. There’s no waiting until the last minute then rush, rush, rush to get everything done.
For four weeks I lived a very orderly life: I woke up, made my bed, put on my slippers, ate breakfast, bought organic food, tidied the kitchen after every meal, recycled, composted, rinsed out a few items of clothing every day and hung them on the rack provided, not on random pieces of furniture and put all of the things I used during the day (books, papers, computer, clothes) into cupboards before I went to bed.
And then... I came back to Louisiana where jet lag and the uncertainties of life sent me back into survival mode. After a week and a half of that nonsense--and possibly because my living space was approaching plague rat status--I decided to bring order into my American life and cleaned my apartment. As in, I sorted through all the papers, shredded, filed, folded, vacuumed, swept, and scrubbed. No longer can I use the excuse “I can’t work in a mess” to avoid all of the things I’ve got to do. I also have an idea of what I’ve got and where everything is, in case I have to “bug out.”
The result is better than any MAOI. I am calmer and happier than I’ve been since August 27, 2010. I’ve begun to do research again and I even have time for creative endeavors. I am prepared for whatever life throws at me -- and I should hear any day now!
