Editorial May 27, 1996 Issue

Breaking the habit of fear

Mary Metzner Trammell

Every morning Tucker reminds me that I'm far from habit-free. He does this nonverbally, of course, because he's a cat—large, fluffy, black and white. But Tucker knows my schedule so well that he precedes me, by about five minutes, to every stop in my morning routine: the shower, the kitchen, the mirror where I do my hair, the closet. And finally, when I'm ready to leave, he's there at the front door waiting to say goodbye!

Now, there's nothing so unusual about this. Most cat or dog owners could tell you a similar story. Yet, when you think about it, that's quite a comment on the habits that we tend to fall into.

True, some habits (like brushing your teeth or saving money or thanking God for all He's done for you) are ones most people feel good about. But a lot of us have struggled with habits we don't feel so good about. Like overspending or overeating or overreacting. Or being overrun—as I was for years—by a habit-forming emotion called FEAR.

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