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The root of a routine

Mad props go to Mrs. J for her Green and Black Olive Chicken recipe. As a fan of almost anything chicken related, I'm looking forward to making this at my own house. The deal is, I rarely cook. And I rarely cook for anyone other than myself.

Even if I had the kind of cash to eat out every day and night, I'd still want to eat a number of meals at home. There's something about home that can't really be replicated in a restaurant or an eatery. But my aversion to cooking has been relegated to making stuff that's easy to prepare and plenty for one meal. I'm not a big fan of leftovers. Plus, I'm the type that will eat the same thing for weeks straight and not tire of it.

In a lot of aspects of my life, routine is good. Taking a walk every day, weather permitting, is great. Writing something every day is great. And when it comes to meals, I have a routine of favorites. I'm talking pizza, bean and rice burritos, assorted fruit, nuts, and Chinese food. As of late, I've been enjoying Frito pie with turkey chili. Yet sometimes I wonder if routine is bad.

You could blame my parents for giving me the trait of sticking to a routine, but I don't see a problem with sticking with one's favorites. We're one to go with what we know is good while being open to something else. Yet the thought of something else rarely comes up. Without fail, whenever I go down to Houston for a visit, I want to hit up the same Mexican restaurant they go to every week. (Their bean and cheese burrito is fabulous.) So why do I sometimes have to be defensive about this?

Like a lot of people, sides of me are fearful of a routine. If it's a routine that's stressful and neverending, that sucks. But if it's a routine I'm comfortable with, why should I change it? Well, to be honest, a part of me agrees whenever someone suggests I should broaden my horizons a bit. But when it comes to preparing a meal for myself, who else do I have to answer to? I'm not feeding anyone else. Who knows, I could be making Green and Black Olive Chicken for years. And if I like it every time, why should I stop?

Comments

Ted said…
You're killing me here, Eric! There was some really funny stuff in here. I was reading this post to J, and after each sentence I would end with "Hey, that's like you." Or, "Hey, that's like me." But since we don't cook for one, we have to make sure that the routine doesn't become, well, routine when it comes to food.

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