Sarah Morgan

Healthcare Geek.
Professional Communicator.

creativity

Compulsive? Blame Modernity.

Modern technology makes us all obsessive-compulsive.

Do you think the Lasceaux painters cared if their brushes were lined up in size order? No. They were just happy their brushes were still there.

Because that meant there wasn’t a bear in the cave eating them.

But now, I think we’re all compulsive.

Yes, you. Even if you think you’re not.

And I don’t just mean organization. There’s a difference between putting your keys in the same place when you come in, and it making you crazy if you don’t fix it when microwave timer is stopped with a few seconds left.

Doing that with your keys makes sense. Doing that with the microwave doesn’t. But if my office is any example of normal behavior (and despite the chorus of “IT ISN’T!” I hear) I argue that this is in all of us.

Come on. You do that with the microwave, don’t you?
Do you care if you load the dishwasher front to back or back to front?
Do you care if you put the toilet paper on the roll with the tail on top or underneath?
Do you care if the toothpaste tube is folded or just squished?

Why do we care about this stuff?Are we really so refined that there’s nothing more important left to fuss about? What’s going on in our heads?

And c’mon. What’s your meaninglessly trivial obsession?

Comments

Kevin A. Barry

Robin:

I actually LOVE that you posted that. My roommate and I have that argument all the time because I am the one who always unloads the dishwasher but he usually fills it. He is convinced that your/our way of putting silverware in does not clean the dishes as well as the way he puts it in all scattershot. Its an epic battle that neither of us will ever win. LOL

Sarah Morgan

I loathe unloading the dishwasher… but never once thought about loading it this way. It must make it so much easier! You’ve just given me a new compulsion. Thanks Robin 🙂

Robin F

I am obsessive about how the utensils are loaded in the dishwasher. Forks, knives, and spoons much all be grouped by type of utensil. It makes it easier for me to unload them.

Other than that, there’s very little I’m obsessive about. (And my husband would most definitely agree!)

Kevin A. Barry

Dishes in the sink. It drives me nuts when someone leaves the house with a sink filled with dirty dishes. Its one thing when you don’t have a dishwasher and are in a rush but if you have a dishwasher, put them in and get them out of the sink!!

I also agree with Erin about pushing in chairs and the half bagel girl. It’s called consideration. Geez.

Rin

I have way too many to list, but thankfully having twins is teaching me to let things go. If my hubby doesn’t do it exactly as I would have, but does it, I’m learning to be OK with it…expect for when he dresses them in clothes that don’t match (themselves…not each other!)

Erin

Amy could be my roommate — who cares how you unload the dishwasher, but I am hell on wheels about that toilet paper roll. And chairs being pushed in. I hate when people leave chairs pushed out.

Sarah Morgan

Amy, I’m just imagining your friends getting all confused in the bathroom in the middle of the night after you leave. Love it!

Sarah Morgan

Aw, this made my day! Thanks Paul!

Sarah Morgan

I have to make my bed immediately upon getting up… but that’s just because it keeps me from burrowing back down into it. And my office has half-bagelers, and even quarter-bagelers and quarter-cookiers! Silly.

@Micrathene

I’m guilty of the toilet paper roll obsession. I even flip them in the public restroom at work sometimes. >,o I’m also a little bit compulsive about how I put my silverware away after it’s washed.

Christine

On the “obsessive” side, I MUST make my bed before I leave in the morning. It bugs me when it’s left a rumpled mess. On the “things that annoy me-compulsive” side, I hate when people leave half a bagel in the basket on bagel day. That’s just gross. Take the whole bagel and toss what you don’t eat. No one wants the bagel that you touched.

Paul C

Checking for new blog posts in my Reader from some favourite bloggers like you.

Amy

I can’t find my keys half the time, I don’t care much how the dishes get in and I sometimes I forget I even have something in the microwave but I’m insistent about the toilet paper roll going over. I’ve even changed it in other people’s homes. I know. BAD!

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