ritual versus routine

For a while now I've wanted to write about the importance of ritual. I'm not talking about those gimmicky self help kind of rituals, "I tried _'s morning routine for a month and now I make more money". I'm talking about finding little moments in your day that feel special or sacred, and holding onto them. I feel like so many people buy in to all these routines for maximal productivity, but why is productivity the ultimate virtue in this instance? People talk about how they're "happier" because they're more productive. They swear by waking up at 4AM and taking cold showers and eating wheatgrass for breakfast, using planners and dopamine detoxing and bullet journals. That's all cool and good, but there's a reason I use the word "ritual" and not "routine". Does any of that really feel "sacred"?

I find that there are certain things that feel spiritual to me. Special. I try to notice these things, and cling to them, hold onto

"The Winter of Our Discontent" is a novel written by John Steinbeck, published in 1961, and set a year earlier. Like most (but not all), of Steinbeck's work, it is a socially realistic novel dealing with contemporary issues.

Ethan Allen Hawley is the scion of an old money family in Long Island (although the setting seems more like New England), who has fallen on hard times. After coming home from World War II, he lost his

Good evening,

I was doubting whether I would take part in the Halloween Quest. I check the news- Trump is deploying the military to my city. Perhaps that will give me some material or inspire me. I am not planning on interacting with the national guardsmen. Though its been just a few days since the occupation, they have already assaulted nearby protesters, not to mention that their presence is mainly to goad and provoke. I think right now a better form of resistance is to put my