A couple of nights ago, I had dream where I spoke with a wise woman (same woman as in this dream?). It had something to do with loops. Loops that linger and loops that break up quickly. Eddies in life’s current.

I wrote a post a while back about loops. In that case I was thinking about fugue states, when you repeat actions or thoughts and you can’t seem to break out.

I have the impression this was about another kind of loop: habit.

There are good habits and bad habits. For some odd reason, the good ones fade away when you’re not paying attention (like healthy diets and exercise routines), while the bad ones are tenacious as hell.

If you think I’ve learned how to wisely control my habits, you’d be wrong. They start out OK, then they go off the rails. Every morning I get up planning to spend several hours writing.

First I feed the dog, microwave some oatmeal, make a pitcher of tea, practice Spanish on Duolingo, social media, check out Beau of the Fifth Column, read, mess with dishes and laundry, check social media one last time, and… doomscroll for hours.

Before I know it, I’ve barely accomplished the task I really wanted to do.

Legendary Pink Dots – Encore Une Fois. A song about loops:

The sun beats down, the world spins ’round, and repeat myself again
There’s a loop inside my brain. I never learn, I never gain, I only
Turn, I stay the same, repeat myself again, repeat myself again.