Muscle Memory

Ever since we moved in to the new house in Seattle I've been reaching for light switches where they would have been in the old house. It's been half a year now and I still catch myself doing it.When I walk in kitchen the lights are on the wrong side of the doorway. Likewise the switch for the stairs down to the basement. The switch for the dining room has morphed from a toggle (with a dimmer) to a dial-faced dimmer.I catch myself all the time doing the same mistakes.

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It's been almost a year since I reloaded some cartridges. The last time according to my spreadsheet was February 26th of last year when I made up lot #81 -- 200 rounds of .44 magnum. (Yes, I get quite anal about keeping loading data straight) When I got back to the press on Sunday I felt all out of sorts. All out of sorts until I pulled the handle the first couple times.When we went on a long ride on the motorcycle with En on the back the same thing. It was all still there even though I hadn't ridden in a while. My hands, feet and eyes just did the right thing as if they had always done it.

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I know I've been told there is no such thing as "muscle memory," that is has nothing to do with muscles. That may well be the case, but it's quite amazing the training you can get from just doing the same thing over and over again. And how hard it is to change those neural pathways when it comes time to do so.