Patty Mayeux Blog

Last month a smoke alarm battery announced its death when we returned home after an overseas flight. We foggily climbed a ladder and replaced it with the last spare battery. Done. Fixed. Ah, complacency, the zone where all is at rest. Relax, until…

Wake UP! Another failing battery brought peaceful slumber to a screeching halt. At 1:30 a.m., of course. I covered my head with a pillow and kind of slept until the sun came up, cursing the need for the ceiling-mounted devils.

Aggravating warning systems remind me to pay attention to daily habits necessary to keep my own systems in prime working condition. I’m tempted to buy the lazy belief that all will be well, always, no thought given to regular maintenance. Let’s face it, maintenance is drudgery. Can’t we just coast? It’s been working so far. But floating down the stream without a care in the world turns a blind eye to the waterfall ahead. Wake UP! Chirp, chirp. The good-living daily dos keep body, mind, and spirit in tiptop condition. If a tooth aches, a muscle tenses, or your glasses don’t quite cut it, let those annoying middle-of-the-night screams of aging alarms remind you to deal with it. Then you can relax. Until…