Bob Hunter © strictly personal @ IT’S QUITE nice to change your pattern every once in a while. Amazing how many habits of behavior you pick up without noticing, which then begin to dictate what you : do, and, therefore, in a way, who you are. This business of letting yourself be defined by acquired habits is surprisingly pervasive. Of course, it is the sort of thing you don’t really notice, since it happens slowly. Your habits are bound to change over the years. The pro- blem would seem to be that they change haphazardly, in response to changing circumstances. After a while, they seem to add up to “another person.’? That is, a somebody who isn’t quite the somebody you used to be — in so many different ways. You know how hard it is to change a habit. Yet it seems diabolically easy for a habit, or: 4 an accumulation of them, to change you. An editor friend of mine, Mac _ Perry, says it’s hopeless to try to break the mould. Beyond a cer- tain point, you just keep { gravitating back to your old bad habits, he states cheerfully. Yet just the other day I saw Mac and he had to agree that if appearances count for anything, I would certainly seem. to have changed. ‘ ’ . _ I was wearing whites, for in- stance, en route to a sailing engagement: My hair is almost crew-cut short. 1am completely 7 , on Scented Candle Bouquet clean-shaven. having got rid of both beard and a moustache. Lord knows, I used to go around in blue jeans. | think I stil! have one pair left. 1 use them for puttering around in the yard. Just getting rid of facial hair does revolutionary things to your appearance. Although the picture accompanying this column hasn’t shown it — I have been too lazy to get it changed — I grew my beard back a couple of years ago. Last month I hacked it off. When my little girl got home from day care she looked at me withovi so much as blinking and said, rubbing her chin: ‘‘No more Daddy?”’ The little boy, who is older, couldn’t help scrunching his face and frowning perplexediy, then giggling: ‘“You look kinda funny, Dad.” . But within a couple of days even he had completely forgotten that I had changed in any way. As for my wife, she says it was like a roll in the hay with a stranger. It turns out my jowls had developed a bit since last seen. The face that confronted me in the mirror looked like somebody I'd never seen before. I guess it’s me. Has to be. I’m still not quite Delightful Way To Say Thank Yc used to it. I would say this much, it is worth growing a beard just to take it off when you finally get tired of it. It’s a bit like scraping the seawood off the bottom of your boat. There was a point in my life, good grief, when my beard was down to my tummy, which, back then, was flat. Another change, ho ho: After 40, some of us, even ones who’ve been skinny all their lives, start to acquire bulk, it seems. Lo and behold — this is the really astounding part —- much of this bulk seems to be drawn to your centre of gravity, whereupon, following the exam- ple of the planets, it forms into a huge sphere. There was a time when I used to crank through three packs of cigarettes a day, too. People used to be able to tell it was me com- ing, even if they couldn’t see me, by the cough. I haven’t had a cigarette for nearly nine years. Now there is something I don’t miss. You poor slobs who are still hooked, what can I say? Oh well, at least § you have the thrill of successfully quitting to look forward to. My habit in the mornings, until recently, after getting the kids off to school and the day centre, was to belly up to the table for a leisurely breakfast of bacon and eges, toast, milk and coffee, reading a paper or two. That has changed, as well. Instead, I go jogging for 15 minutes. Getting back home, I lift weights and do all that sort of thing, culminating in a shower and a breakfast of fruit and juice and a mess of vitamins. God, I feel so Yuppie! But so | healthy and wholesome and energetic — it must be worth it. Sure you can change. You can even break habits. It’s fun. | Spring a Surprise Mom | Tickler Bouquet from 12.95 Order Early Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10th ~ 922-4171 Sewing Basket Bouquet from $28.50 FLORIST 1821 Marine Dr., West Vancouver 922-3968 a) W. Van Chamber criticizes buciget From page 1 the past six years. The budget calls for expen- ditures of $2,490,800 on general government operations, $10,037,800 for protection (in- cluding fire and police), $6,270,100 on transit, and $5,968,000 on rec- reation and culture. Other capital expenditures include: $2,643,900 for environmental health, $451,500 on public health and $311,000 on environmental development. Cost of servicing debt charges is $4,189,900. The trimming of this year’s budget does not include any layoffs among the district’s roughly 750 employees — people employed in areas such as public works, recreation, clerical and fire protection. The budget includes a continua- tion of the policy of road repair and maintenance. The road pro- gram was originally established in 1985 at an annual $1 million budget. This year it is set at $1,250,000, allowing for inflation. In its critique of this year’s budget, the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce continues to call for a more ‘‘equitable balance between residential and commercial taxes.’’ The chamber claims that West Van businessmen continue to pay $1.48 for every doilar put in by the homeowner. The chamber noted, ‘‘ Commer- cial businesses are only 8.24 per cent of the assessed value, but pay 17.10 per cent of the taxes. “Less attention should be paid to subsidizing the relatively wealthy old age population,”’ ac- cording to the chamber, and more concern ‘‘should be directed to the social and economic incentives for attracting younger families and the needs of the single parent families on reduced incomes.”’ In his budget message to coun- cil, Brokenshire said ‘‘the overall net taxes for most homeowners in West Vancouver are still under one per cent of the value of their prop- erty, a very favorable level when compared ts other North American communities.” ‘Mum's the word | on the dinner deal behind our door. $7.99 SHHHN’ Broiled Chicken Monteray and Salad Bar Moms are special at Bonanza -Now you know ——— 7 - which door to choose. Wa cn (Steak: Chicken Seafood Safach 1070 Marine Dr. _ North Vancouver, BC.