When the Abnormal Becomes Normal...

  I am a pretty light sleeper and so it doesn't take much to arouse me from my slumber (unless of course I've indulged in some night-quil before heading into said slumber).  This morning about 5am, I was nice and soundly asleep when a nice sized earthquake occurred in the providence above us and caused my bed (and our house to) shake, rattle and roll for a bit.  Maybe I am just growing accustomed to earthquakes since I lived in California for a number of years and have felt plenty of earthquakes since moving here to Ecuador, but this was the first time ever that the quake didn't scare me in the least (is that bad?).  I literally was sitting in bed thinking, "wow, this is a long one.  I wonder where it occurred.  My bed is really shaking and I just realized I need the bathroom!".  It was just a normal conversation with myself, without an concern.

  It's funny how we grow accustomed to things in life.  Whether it's earthquakes that no longer send you into the door frame fearing for your life, or having to get up in the wee hours of the morning for work and that no longer making you cry like a little baby.  Some things, no matter how hard or uncomfortable, just become normal after a while, and they lose their effect.

  This makes me wonder what other things in life have lost their effect on me.  What things use to really set me off and now don't even make me bat an eye?  I can look at the world around me and see plenty of things that no longer have effects (or at least the effects they use to)...cussing, kissing in public, breast-feeding.  I'm not saying all those things are bad, just that they use to have an effect on people and now they don't so much (and maybe I am wrong).  Anyway, my point is I can see plenty of things that effected the world at large and have now become just a normal way of life....but when I look at myself, I have trouble thinking of very much, if anything (besides earthquakes) that have become normal for me.  Maybe I'm just not thinking hard enough.  I'm sure there's got to be more.  But what about you?  What use to cause "after-shocks" in your life and now seems to not even cause a blip your system?  What use to be "uncomfortable" but now is normal for you?  Please tell!