"creatures of habit"

I am one of those people who cannot abide " " around things. I even belong to a group online that posts pix of signs or menus or various other means of communication in which people misuse quotation marks. I suppose, in some cases, it's a matter of making claims that aren't really true, i.e. "Best Taco in Colorado" is a mighty big claim, but if you put it in quotes, then the implication is that someone said this, one person maybe, or someone saw it in a vision. "Tell them," said the turban-wearing genie in said vision, "that you have the Best Taco in Colorado." In the dream, the budding restauranteur is afraid. "But I am told I cannot make that kind of statement, oh wise one," says the restauranteur. "OH YES YOU CAN!" booms the ethereal visitor. "Just put quotation marks around the statement!"

I could be wrong about this. It's the only explanation I can come up with to justify quotation mark abuse. Infractions that leave me yearning for a giant sharpie with a retractable pole that allows me to go out in the dark of night, vigilante style, and deface signs that use punctuation incorrectly. Just call me the PuncPoPo.

I bring all this up because of the title of this post. I am not, save for getting up at approx. the same time every morning, a creature of habit. In fact, when I hear those words, I cringe. The people I know for which this is a point of pride drive me a little batshit. They use phrases like "because that's just what I DO" as if there is no other option. There is great conviction held by creatures of habit...they've been doing it--whatever that may be--for so long that it is now written into their Code of Being. And it should most likely be written into your Code too, lest you catch nasty sidelong glances from your pals who need those bran flakes and that banana every morning or the world will FALL APART.

All flippant comments aside, I've been thinking on this whole habit thing. Granted, I'm speaking in gross generalizations, but still...I have a mental block about it. I equate it, often, with boring personalities and/or people who have absolutely no capacity to self-reflect or change up the status quo. Really, what I've determined is that I too possess some of these entrenched ways of doing things, but there's only a couple of them that would be deemed "good" for me. So, essentially, I've concluded that we're all creatures of habit to some extent; it's just that I can't seem to move my list from the "could/should probably do without" to the "great habits to get into" column.

I guess I don't want anyone to know what I'm up to next. Gotta keep things REAL,
y'know?

Or, damn this analysis, should this post be titled Excuse #3908216?