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Home
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Who Wants Routine?
by A. Ross
Some people thrive on it, others much prefer the hustle of
preparing for Yom Tov, Shabbos, the excitement of a trip,
holidays, a wedding or bar mitzva -- anything but routine.
Babies and small children need routine and get restless or
out of sorts without it. On the other hand, there is
frequently a sudden spurt in their development when they are
out of it. There is evidence to show that when a child is
taken abroad, for instance, perhaps for a family vacation or
to visit grandparents, he suddenly begins to walk or to speak
in whole sentences. So even if they need routine, and perhaps
prefer it, they are not going to come to any harm when
exposed to some days or weeks of excitement.
In general, when elderly people are out of their environment
and out of their routine, they may show signs of distress and
even confusion, although there never were any sign of this
before.
Just as some people work better under pressure while others
go to pieces in these conditions, so do some folk enjoy a
change from routine while others cannot wait to get back to
the daily humdrum life. A woman who goes out to work will
enjoy the break from routine. She might enjoy the masses of
cooking for a large family and may love being at home all
day. However, if she enjoys the work, she will look forward
to going back. She may be the sort of woman who gets bored by
`only' looking after her children. On the other hand, if she
is only going out to work because she needs the extra income,
she might feel the whole vacation is spoiled by the thought
of returning to her usual routine.
How many mothers exult in those relaxed mornings when there
is no deadline to catch. No buses or car pool to school, no
tension, no raised voices. One woman said that her whole
Shabbos was spoiled each week by the thought of returning to
dull routine on Sunday. She has a completely wrong attitude
to this holy day of rest. Rest is an opportunity to recharge
our batteries each week, both spiritually and physically.
During the period before Pesach or before Succos we discover
a great deal of extra adrenaline. This is followed by the
week of Yom Tov. Yeshiva boys in particular are often
delighted to get back to their routine. True, they enjoyed
the break, but after a short time, they miss their normal
learning schedule amongst their peers.
Regardless of whether you are a person who prefers routine or
the other kind, you are not wasting time when you take a
break. Yom Tov is meant to give us a spiritual uplift, while
vacations revitalize us physically. Some children are in the
habit of declaring that they are bored as soon as they are
out of routine. It is well to discourage this attitude. Help
them make the most of their lives, both during the exciting
days and also during the regular periods of time.
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