Creatures of Habit...

People in general are creatures of habit. In general we do not like change. There are several examples from my life that I can pull from that really bring this idea home.

In college for a psychology class, I had to take an elevator ride and when I got into the elevator, turn and face the back of the elevator. This of course, made me facing all the others in the elevator with me. Thankfully there were only two others at the time. I was supposed to observe the reactions of the others riding the elevator and then document them for the psych experiment. The other two on the elevator looked very uncomfortable and avoided making eye contact. Of course this could be because I smelled or looked funny, but my guess is-and the point of the experiment-there is an understood way to ride an elevator and changing that creates a disturbance in the "norm".

I have changed jobs several times in my life and many times I was super excited to leave the job I was abandoning. However, there is was a little bit of fear starting the new job. It was different, would I adapt to the change. Most of the time it took a few weeks to develop a comfort level to where I was not tiptoeing around the new office trying to avoid conversation for fear of being judged and deemed unworthy.

These are just a couple of examples. Last night proved to be another example that people do not like change. I made what I hope to be a quick trip to my local Kroger. If you are a regular Kroger shopper, you let me know, there's a certain French group that may need your assistance. Anyway, I'm buzzing around the store, avoiding all the yummy sugary snacks, trying to be a good girl. I'm just ready to head out with my few items, when I realize I forgot foil. I turned around and headed back to the aisle to get it. MISTAKE!!! You can not go reverse in Kroger. You must, must begin in produce and end in alcohol and proceed directly to the checkout. I could not believe the rude people who refused, refused to move their carts out the way in order for me to make my way through. I was a change from the "norm", the other shoppers could not handle the change.

Next time I need toilet tissue, I will just get that and avoid the cart. I normally just have my little basket. Ah, love the basket.