Practice Makes Permanent
Fort Leavenworth is an historic post on the Missouri River near the head of the old Oregon and Santa Fe wagon trails. In the mid 1800's, river boats would bring wagons laden with supplies and passengers and deposit them on the river banks below the old fort. The wagons quickly carved out a permanent impression in the steep grade that leads up the hill from the river landing. Soon, every wagon that disembarked took the same, well-worn trail to the top of the bluffs, deepening the ruts and making it even harder to choose another path. Even today, over a century later, you can walk out behind Fort Leavenworth's Memorial Chapel, look down toward the river, and see the U-shaped gully created by generations of wagon drivers who took the road most traveled. We often act a lot like those ancient wagon drivers. If I sit in the same place in chapel twice, that's now "my spot." I'll sit there every Sunday. Sometimes I only have to repeat an act twice to make it a habit. ...