Order and Routine

I'm obsessed with Downton Abbey.  Last year, a friend at work, told me about it.  I guess I wasn't really listening, because I thought she had said 'Downtown Abbey'.  At first it didn't sound appealing because I thought it was about a department store.  But, she sounded so interested in it, that I eventually found it and was hooked.  It's about a wealthy British family and the group of people who serve them.  They live in, well it looks like a castle, called Downton Abbey, in an English village called Downton during the early 1900's.  The dialogue is simple, the pace is slow, Maggie Smith has all of the good one-liners. So why is it so appealing to me?  (How goofy, that with all that goes on in the world, I spend my thinking time trying to figure out why I like Downton Abbey.  Go figure).  But I have been thinking about it and have come up with two words--Order and Routine. 

The servants have a daily routine. The family, well, they spend a lot of time dressing for dinner.  What a wonderful idea, dressing for dinner.    There is a sense of purpose, even with the maids. There is respect.  Lord Grantham, the lord of the estate, is a gracious and benevolent man, as are the members of his family.  He's wealthy and kind.  What a wonderful concept for a character.  The different servants have uniforms for that specific job.  The family is always dressed 'appropriately' with hats and gloves, gowns and coiffured hair.  They talk with good grammar and respect.  It is so refreshing. So simple.  Knowing what is expected.  Having a daily plan. Not crashing down if something goes wrong. Facing life knowing the ups and downs will come, but understanding that is what life is about--experiences both good and bad. 

Order and Routine are not the companions of addiction.  Gentleness and respect don't show up much, either.  Some days, my mind is so scattered because of the effects addiction has had on my time at home, that I'll be driving to work hoping I locked the back door after letting the dogs out (or hoping I let the dogs back in) because I wasn't really focused on that, instead my mind was somewhere in the past, or planning a hopeless future (I find that I am not present, but have become just a presence in my life).  Addiction takes away the comfort and stability of a mentally healthy routine.  Addiction creates disorder and uncertainty.  Addiction is like a poltergeist. Objects are misplaced or disappear only to reappear someplace else.  It brings with it so much confusion and mistrust. 

Order and routine.  Structure. Boundaries. Grace. Respect. Standards. Even the words have a sense of strength when they're spoken.  A sense of clarity and power. 

And so, I've found a respite in watching Downton Abbey.  I soak in all of the gentleness;  The order and routine, and find it healing.  My mind finds healing.  Order and routine, two pieces to the puzzle of rediscovering me.