justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

Obsessive-compulsive? Just a tad, eh?

I’m sure I have my obsessions, things about which I’m compulsive and which surely cause frustration (perhaps even some anger) from those with whom I interact, but nothing compares to what I experienced a few years ago while staying with friends prior to completing the AIDS fundraising bike ride from Boston to New York.

After a delicious dinner, I was helping with the dishes. My friend stopped me as I was putting the utensils and silverware into the dishwasher, pointing out to me that I was doing it “wrong”, according to the process he had learned from his girlfriend. Up to that moment in a life rich in worldly experiences, I hadn’t really realized there might be a “wrong” way to put utensils and silverware into a dishwasher. I quickly rearranged my “dishwasher filling style” to please my host and conform to the wishes of his girlfriend.

Upon further research, I realize that the experience I had labeled as “obsessive-compulsive” may not exactly fit the strictest definition, as it might not be something that is done repeatedly, or something having a negative effect on the lives of others. Maybe it was just something I felt was a little too strangely intense…

This is probably just one example of strange behaviors and idiosyncrasies we all have. Following this experience, I ran a little self-inventory to see if I could recognize (and possibly minimize or stop) my own behaviors that would seem strange to others.

After making up a long list, which I had to prioritize, then alphabetize, and then transfer to a masterfully created Excel spreadsheet, I was comfortable with my self-inventory! What? Does it seem just a tad excessively “organized” to you?

Perhaps one person’s needs for order and process are another person’s excesses. Obsessive or compulsive or what? What about you and yours?