It is natural for us to become dependent on what we take pleasure from.  On committing to a habit that satisfies our need for predictability, for comfort, for pleasure.  And simple habits can fulfill those deeply embedded needs.  Take, for example, people who like us are interested in the daily news.  That interest no doubt stems basically from a human penchant for gossip, for knowing what goes on about us, in fact for satisfying the need to be a part of our community on both the micro- and the macro-scale.

Different habits become the norm for us in different stages of our lives, habits that are suitable in nature and reflective of our lifestyle at that time in our development.  Now that we are elderly and retired we value the pleasure and comfort of lingering for a lengthy period of time over our breakfast.  And that breaking of the overnight fast comes complete, for us, with a perusal of our daily newspapers.  We subscribe to a local newspaper and a national one.  And then there are all the peripheral smaller news broadsheets that are specific to a small community.

We are accustomed to having our newspapers delivered daily to our door.  Every morning while preparing breakfast the newspapers are brought indoors and placed on the breakfast table; while we consume our meal we also consume the news. 

A few weeks back we had a greeting card enclosed with the newspapers informing us that the individual who had delivered our newspapers faithfully in all kinds of weather for three years was departing as of December 23.  We took that as notice that it was time to acknowledge that elicitation, and we placed a $20 bill within a seasonal greeting card thanking the person for excellent service.

Now, for two days following one on the other, we have found no newspapers awaiting our retrieval on our front porch.  We have had to go through the seemingly interminable automatic exercise of pushing various telephone buttons to register non-receipt of delivery.  On each occasion within an hour of our contacting the newspaper, our papers have arrived. 

There remains the mystery of what has happened to our dependable service which was to continue under the responsibility of the soon-to-depart delivery person.  The irony here being that the usual yearly monetary gesture of appreciation on our part has resulted in an abrupt cessation of delivery.