Do you know the Hokey Pokey song? It begins with, “You put your right foot in, you take your right foot out. You put your right foot in and you shake it all about.” Then after you’ve done all you are told to do, you are instructed to do it all over again, but this time you put your left foot in. Now, I’m not trying to stir up controversy, but why does it always begin with the right foot? Personally, I would naturally begin with my left foot, because I am left-footed. Having said that, I have no problem putting my right hand in first, because I am right-handed. Okay, I’ll go ahead and admit that I may be a little mixed up, because I am right-handed and left-footed. That means I hit a ball with my right arm, but I kick a ball with my left foot. I’ve tried to change, but it feels awkward to write with my left or to kick with my right.
This brings another question to my mind. Which sock do you put on first? I don’t know if it’s because I’m left-footed, but I always put on my left sock first. Oh, you’ve never thought about it? Pay attention and you’ll probably find that you put the same one on first most of the time, too. Do you put on both socks before you put on either shoe, or do you put on a sock and a shoe one foot at a time? Someone suggested we should put on both socks first. That way if our house caught fire we would at least not have to run out of the house barefooted.
Which side of the bed do you sleep on? Which side of your body do you sleep on? I will be willing to guess that you sleep on the same side of the bed, as well as the same side of your body, every night. I sleep on the left side of the bed, but on my right side.
What time do you go to bed and get up? Even my dog, Cocoa (15) goes to bed at the same time each night. Most nights she will get up to go to her bedroom at 9:00, give or take a few minutes either way. What’s so amazing about that is she doesn’t like to wear a watch!
We are indeed creatures of habit, and once certain habits have been established they are not easily changed or broken. Good habits need to be strengthened but bad habits need to be broken. Truth is that the more we do something the easier it becomes to do, and the harder it becomes to not do. Sometimes we think we can’t change, but the truth may be that we don’t want to change. Many habits can be broken and some actions can be changed. For instance, there have been people who lost their dominate hand, so then learned to write and do other things with the other hand. That’s not natural or easy, but it can be done.
As we begin a new year, we often think about making some changes. Some say they don’t make resolutions, because they can’t keep resolutions. Can’t or won’t? How about, instead of resolving to do certain things for the entire year, we resolve to do them for a day and simply renew that resolve every new day. It’s kind of like putting on your socks and shoes one foot at a time, but in this case it’s one day at a time. Happy New Days!
Bill King can be reached at bkpreach@yahoo.com or 334-728-5514 (office).
