Drama at Dawn

We are creatures of habit and would have a hard time getting through a day without mindless repeats.  Habits can also kill you.  Smoking and hard drinking come to mind, but good habits can be lethal, too.  If you’d asked me last week what hand holds the cup when I take pills, I couldn’t have told you.  I know now.  I take three tablets every morning to keep me going -- medications for heart, thyroid and bones.  None are coated, sugared or encapsulated – just raw pills.  This morning I dumped the trio on the counter and realized my pill hand was wet.  I learned long ago that pre-wetting something like an aspirin tablet is not a good thing to do.  It immediately begins to disintegrate in a most disgusting manner.  The solution was simple – change hands.  Right.  I got water and the first big pill in the mouth and couldn’t swallow the thing.  Finally, eyes bulging and fighting for breath, I stood up straight and breathed a sigh of relief.  If I’d thought about not making the same mistake twice, I would have dried the offending hand and returned to the habitual way of downing pills.  Wrong.  I went through my backward habit and found the pills chasing each other around my mouth like speed boats avoiding a steep waterfall.  Having survived this drama at dawn, I figure the rest of the day is going to be a piece of cake.