It’s all about choices…

Or the contrariness of humans.

Why is it that we will happily choose something, when, if it were imposed or required, we would refuse to have or do?

Earlier this year one of my hard contact lenses broke: upon obtaining a new prescription, I first went to buy a new pair of glasses (experience over the past 15 years has shown that there will be moments when I cannot wear contacts). They needed to be tri-focal.

Then, as I have worn contact lenses for almost 50 years, I wanted to replace those as well. This led to much experimentation, whereby I finally settled on soft only to correct my nearsightedness.  The idea was to mainly wear the contacts, but the reality is that I usually wear the glasses as having to find reading glasses for both books and computer screens is not fun. I originally thought that I would always drive with them as the field of vision is larger and one can more easily put on, or take off, sunglasses than the clip on my glasses. It turns out, that I live with the clip more: would that have been the case if I had bought trifocal hard contact lenses? Choices made, choices may be changed.

Hearing aids are the same: bought them as had hearing loss, but was never able to get used to wearing them: the comfort of knowing that I can use them outweighs the necessity – a choice.

Friendships are similar: when I started renting my mountain bolthole the intention was just that: a place to go when I needed to be alone and not with a lot of other people. But as there are some lovely and interesting people here, I have chosen to interact with them anyway – another choice.

And so it goes for temperatures as well: it has always intrigued me that in the winter 19°C (68°F) is cold, but that when it is hot out in the summer, those same 19°C are welcome and we’ll happily keep the thermostat there.

Those who know me, know how much I detest the heat: at 30°C I melt, become testy and without the will for much other than to seek cooler temperatures. So why, last night, after having gotten too cold sitting at 20°C did I find a fire and 30°C lovely?

Ah the perversity of mankind. Not likely to change any time soon.