Routine (The good, the bad, and the necessary)

Routine is part of life. Most of us wake up, go to work, come home, make dinner, watch a show and go to bed. We rinse and repeat Monday through Friday until the weekend finally arrives.

I’ve had students for the past four weeks and we now have our routine. It’s a good one and I’m really enjoying the start to another year educating sophomores. I also feel like a robot sometimes and I can’t decide if that’s positive or just inevitable.

To take trips like my Alaska adventure I have to endure routine. I have to repeat myself (a lot), smile when I’m frustrated and remember that I was a kid once and my teachers were patient with me too.

We cross our T’s and dot our I’s in order to find new routines like going on vacation, fishing, hunting, spending a day with family or simply just not being at work. We have to grind in order to play and I understand that. We have to go through the motions sometimes because we get paid to do exactly that.

My buddy Jared recently said, “Back to work to rest up.” I chuckled and then realized how right he is. I think the familiarity and routine of work is good for us all, but in moderation. The anticipation of a concert, sporting event or weekend away is the escape from our daily dose of the same old, same old.

I’m grateful to generally enjoy my job and I always joke with the kids that “they do pay me,” but also I revel in my freedom away from the confines of my classroom.

I went fishing on Saturday morning and I spotted some yellow Aspens adorning the hillside overlooking our beautiful valley. I wore my favorite vest and felt a chill on my hands walking along the river before the clock struck 8am. The streamer bite was borderline silly and once the fog burned off I was sweating by the time I called it a solid session, which means fall is almost here. A new routine is upon us.

I hope your daily routine provides an avenue for a different one now and again because sometimes a change of scenery can make the mundane palatable once again.

Fall fishing is a special time of year because nature never stops showing off, especially in September and October. Don’t overdo it on all of the pumpkin spiced madness going on right now and don’t forget to look up.