For me, living in a new place has been sort of like being on an extended trip to a location I’m only vaguely familiar with. Moving out of the behavioral grooves (or ruts) I dug for myself since retirement by following comfortable, comforting routines has been disorienting. I find the smallest things require my attention -- I can’t fall back on having done something umpteen times before. Whether its finding my way to the bathroom at night, heating the omelet pan properly on the electric range after 40 years of cooking on gas ranges, or locating the bulk grains at Whole Paycheck, everything is new again.
Predictably, driving is one area that this heightened attending is most important. North Shore drivers seem much more assertive than drivers in Northern Virginia. If there is a truck stopped in the oncoming lane, drivers coming toward you just take your lane to pass it. The fact that they are coming directly at you doesn’t seem to phase them at all. Similarly, left turns across your lane are done without hesitation. Even pedestrians seem to practice assertive walking. Crossing the road on foot day and night is done apparently without considering that drivers might have trouble picking out pedestrians from the background noise surrounding them. Most secondary roads are typically in terrible condition, and require constant vigilance not to hit a large pot hole or jagged pavement at speed. And road names themselves often change as I cross town lines in a way that reduces my confidence in exactly where the hell I’ve gotten to.
I find that all this “attending” leaves me pretty worn out by mid afternoon. On the other hand, it probably is staving off Alzheimer’s.
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