QUESTION:

Are strange habits strange or just perspectives?

Humans and habits. What came first, the word or the nun's attire? Did we poach this word from the women habitually wearing a drab outfit to honour their pledge to God or did the outfit get labelled a habit- since it is ever-worn?

I digress. Habits are odd things. We all have them, we all do them. We are said to be creatures "of". Which raises another question: Does 'life' impose them on us or do we impose them on ourselves to better deal with life?

I digress again. I have this one habit: I cannot start the day - whatever time any particular day begins and wherever in the world I am - without a cup of black coffee. With lots of sugar. (Most of it organic Stevia these days.)

I can't remember a time I didn't have this habit: Wake up, make/order coffee, take that first sip... then begin whatever. (Since my early 20's a cigarette accompanies this first sip- what can I say? Another habit.)

Neither are odd. I do have a friend however- she will not go out of the house without 'heels'. She's my height- not 'vertically challenged' as such so that's not the reason. She can't even tell me the reason- I asked. She simply MUST wear heels- which makes it kinda awkward sometimes- like at the beach? Lately she's taken to wearing the platform type- a step up from the wobbling of stilettos.

Another friend, he doesn't wear socks. Summer/winter, day/night, formal/casual... no socks! That's where my eyes go first, every time we meet. To his bare ankles.

Then there's the lady I met sometime back in Real Estate: Mid-eighties and wearing 'coral' lipstick. No other make-up. Yes, I asked. She said "I can't remember dear, seems I always put this lippie on every morning."

The above do seem kinda strange- to me. I look at them through MY perspective and deem them at odds with what I'd do: I wouldn't ever wear heels to the beach. Nor go sock-less in winter. Nor... wear coral lipstick in the house. 

But. They are perfectly at ease within these habits. They are a part of them. The very meaning of habit is something that is like "second nature".

It seems therefore, habits are strange only when viewed from the outside. From another's perspective?

What say you?