Jumping off the Hamster Wheel

Getting Out of a Rut!

Mother’s Day 2024 took me completely out of my comfort zone. I performed in a storytelling event reminiscing about my mother’s 80^th birthday celebration. The event was Listen to Your Mother- Indy held at the Basile Theater, which seats 290, in downtown Indianapolis.

Before retiring, I didn’t think of storytelling as an art form. Honestly, I was unaware of storytelling. As a writer, blogger, and future memoirist, the idea of storytelling is a stretch to my skill set. I tried it a few times in a smaller venue first, attended storytelling events as a spectator, and then auditioned for Listen to Your Mother earlier this Spring.

Like many people, I find comfort in familiarity and routine. Retirement is providing opportunities to experience new activities and I’m saying “yes” quite a bit. In 2015, a friend decided to practice “one daily dare.” She didn’t necessarily try to do something new. Her goal was to do something she wouldn’t normally do. Her activities included big adventures like helicopter flying lessons, but most of her activities were not what she considered earth-shattering.

After going through a divorce, my friend says she began watching a lot of television and feeling sorry for herself. Her goal was to feel more alive again. She began going to movies and dinner alone when friends weren’t available becoming more comfortable and confident. She even went dancing alone and had a wonderful time. She says, 2015 was her best year ever.

There are many reasons why adults resist change. Although it limits our growth, there is a comfort level in taking the same route to a destination and eating at familiar restaurants. I know people who say, “Why would I try something new; my routine works for me.”

One of my former colleagues explained his parents resisted any ideas from their adult children. For months, he said his father kept saying “what?” in conversations, had his television volume on level “50” and talked over others because he couldn’t hear them. When my colleague tactfully suggested a hearing aid, his father said he didn’t need it.

A few months later, his dad was wearing a hearing aid recommended by his physician and showing off the small size of his device at a family event. My colleague explained resisting change isn’t just about fear. Who recommends the new restaurant, suggests getting a second opinion, scenic route for a road trip or a hearing aid for a family member has to have credibility.

Trying something new or approaching something differently doesn’t require hiking the Grand Canyon or performing on stage. Getting out of a rut could be as small as trying a new dish at a restaurant, taking a different route for your daily walk, calling a friend you haven’t talked to in months, or starting a gratitude journal. As my friend says, “It doesn’t have to be earth-shattering.”