When I first read this prompt, I wasn't sure how to tackle it. I needed some time to think about it. Do I just list all of my weird quirks, or does it require something deeper? Are all of those weird quirks unique to me anyway, or are they actually quite common?
I read the prompt out to my boyfriend and he said, "well, you are crazy." He's right, of course. I think all creative people are, to one degree or another.
Viz:
* Last night I was making dried orange slices, and when I finished putting them in the dehydrator, I was so happy that I did a dance. I called it the 'I'm Happy that I'm Making Pot Pourri' dance. After so many years of sadness, I'm so lucky that when I'm happy, I can be very happy. This display seemed to make my boyfriend happy too, so it's a good situation all-around.
* I want to help people, but without having any contact with them because I'm so shy. I haven't yet figured out how that would work.
* Having spent a lot of time alone, especially when I was a young adult, I've had a chance to think about things a lot - life, relationships, spirituality, who I am. I'm not saying I've come to any conclusions or had any amazing epiphanies. But I wonder if my outlook on life is a little different to those people who haven't had that opportunity to reflect on the nature of things.
* Most people have quirks surrounding food. Mine is that I can't eat savoury after sweet. If I have a sweet taste in my mouth, then I can't eat a savoury food until the sweet taste has worn off. It's usually about 20 minutes, depending on how strongly flavoured the food was. The only exceptions to this are drinks, and possibly cheeses. When I'm at a party and there are savoury and sweet foods available at the same time, I have to make a conscious decision about when I'll switch from savoury to sweet. My friends tease me about it quite a bit, but I don't mind. At least I'm keeping them amused! There've been many times where I would have over-eaten if I didn't have this quirk, so sometimes it's actually quite helpful.
* I'm completely obsessed with lists. I have lists and lists of lists. I have Excel spreadsheets with summaries of my lists, with everything colour-coded. I have lists of books to read, movies to watch, things to do, places to visit, foods to try, gifts to buy, craft projects to make, blog posts to write. I look at them and work on them every day. Sometimes I spend hours creating and re-arranging them. I find it relaxing.
* I have this thing where, if I hear certain words, I have to repeat them in an accent. For example, if I hear the word 'movie', I have to say 'moofee' in an exaggerated German accent. Same with 'guru', except it's an Indian accent. With some effort, I've managed to curb this urge so that, if the situation is inappropriate, now I only repeat the word in my head. One of the worst words is 'mental'. Every time I hear that, I have to repeat it in a Cockney accent. I'm sure I must drive my boyfriend absolutely nuts. Whenever there's an ad on TV for that show The Mentalist, it's like a free-for-all: "ee's mental, ee is! Dat's why dey call 'im da Men'alist! Cos ee's mental!" etc etc.
Um, does anyone else out there do this?
I leave it there or else I'll embarrass myself even more!
I imagine this childlike, playful nuttiness plays itself out in my art and craft, when I'm feeling free and relaxed. That thought is pleasing to me.
I thought writing this piece would be hard; I thought it would make me cry. Once I found the thread I was looking for, it turned out to be a lot of fun. It reflects me at my best.
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