People keep me on my toes

I like structure and rhythm and routine. This is surprising to no one who knows me.

And the number one thing that interferes with those things is people. They're unpredictable, inconsistent, and for lack of a better word, messy.

The fewer the variables, the easier it is to solve an equation (yes, this is a math metaphor, shocking I know). And people are the ultimate variable.

This makes life difficult to plan for because people are everywhere.

Plus, I never really know (despite my best guesses) what they're going to do or how they're going to respond.

This isn't a bad thing. Sometimes, people surprise you in wonderful ways. But for someone who likes to keep things consistent (me), people never make that easy. We're anything but consistent.

Weirdly, I'm starting to love that. Because if every day went the way I planned it, my life would be pretty dull.

People keep me on my toes.
Sometimes, I hate them for it.
Sometimes, I love them for it.

In either case, I'm forced to face a startling reality: my life doesn't belong to just me.

Other people have a say in how my day goes. Other people influence the habits I build, then the character I form, then the life I live.

And I think it's better that way.