While there are lots of opportunities for neophillia in my area, we do live in a small town where favorite restaurants become places to family celebrations and familiar faces among the staff of that place. Americans are notorious nomads throughout our lives. I've lost count of the places I've lived and the times I've started over settling into a new neighborhood. It was interesting, though, to here a lady in my knitting group (every Thursday afternoon ritual BTW) say that she is exhausted from the years of entertaining neighbors every Friday night in her old town and is relieved to live in a neighborhood where everybody's content to harbor in their homes and only wave in passing. This may be a typical life passage for of thing. We change our rituals as we age and attain new energy levels.
This disconnection with the place and the people in the environment also, as you rightly say, varies according to age, person and culture. In the U.S. it is more common to change residence than in Spain and therefore, it is more difficult to create stable habits with the local population. On the other hand, age is a determining factor.
In Spain the people more likely to enjoy their routine I would say are the older ones, young people have a stronger tendency to prefer to discover something new than to enjoy what they already know.
With my parents I always went to the same restaurant, with my friends I am forced to change every time.
We old people are like cats. A kitten loves to explore the world, but after about a year or so, please don't move the furniture. It's just too jarring.
While there are lots of opportunities for neophillia in my area, we do live in a small town where favorite restaurants become places to family celebrations and familiar faces among the staff of that place. Americans are notorious nomads throughout our lives. I've lost count of the places I've lived and the times I've started over settling into a new neighborhood. It was interesting, though, to here a lady in my knitting group (every Thursday afternoon ritual BTW) say that she is exhausted from the years of entertaining neighbors every Friday night in her old town and is relieved to live in a neighborhood where everybody's content to harbor in their homes and only wave in passing. This may be a typical life passage for of thing. We change our rituals as we age and attain new energy levels.
Hi Sue!
This disconnection with the place and the people in the environment also, as you rightly say, varies according to age, person and culture. In the U.S. it is more common to change residence than in Spain and therefore, it is more difficult to create stable habits with the local population. On the other hand, age is a determining factor.
In Spain the people more likely to enjoy their routine I would say are the older ones, young people have a stronger tendency to prefer to discover something new than to enjoy what they already know.
With my parents I always went to the same restaurant, with my friends I am forced to change every time.
We old people are like cats. A kitten loves to explore the world, but after about a year or so, please don't move the furniture. It's just too jarring.
A good metaphor of what life is all about.