People become slaves to habit. It is very difficult to break with them, even when sometimes keeping them is not in our own best interest. But the useful ones stay with us for decades. Recently thinking about little survival things I have learned from certain individuals that I still use in my life. Whenever I engage the habit I think of them.
Van Galligan always cut 81/2 x 11 pages used on only one side into 3’s to create note paper and I kept doing it - a very useful system.
Reed Weimer’s wife Chandler Romeo taught me a lot about how to store food and plan meals. Her basement freezer was a monument to good planning ahead.
Dan Wagoner taught me what he called “knee exercises” way back in the early 70’s and I have used them, taught them and still rely on them daily.
Diann Sichel applied her Alexander technique to my recovery and I never get up from sitting without pulling my right foot back and under before pushing up.
I remember John Jesurun once saying, when I was headed out of town for a show and felt nervous “what can they really do to you?” I always think of that when I venture into an unknown.
When I was visiting Stephen Foreman at his upstate home I noticed a package of Huggies on the back of the toilet. I now always have Huggies available and use them daily.
My sister put her husband through college working as a dental assistant and I learned dental hygeine habits from her. After eating I immediately use toothpicks to remove food, then chew sugarless gum (I prefer Pur brand with no Aspartame) then floss and use a waterpik before brushing daily.
I learned one adapted habit from a radio program. I usually sleep with a slim strip of tape on my lips to keep my mouth closed while sleeping, forcing me to breathe through my nose.
It is the small regularly repeatable efforts that keep us going after all.
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