So I've been thinking about the whole "Are your eyes blue?... Nope... woopsie, just cataracts" thing. And I think "Foot in Mouth Disease" stems from something else altogether. I have a problem sticking my foot in my mouth, yes. But where it begins is a whole different issue. BEFORE I say something, I usually get fixated on something that is not quite... normal. Like the guy with the cataracts... (see that post here) Once I'm fixated... I'm like Rain Man on Wapner -I just can't seem to let it go. Let me explain.
There was guy who used to work at Burger King in my home town. He had those little arms, ya know? And I couldn't stop thinking about them when I was there. He would swing one of them up to the fry caddy to fetch my fries. It was beautiful. And while little arm #1 was fetching the fries, little arm #2 pinched the buger bag up close to his body. It was like majic, those little arms. I was mesmerized since they barely even made it out of his shirt sleeves, and they were short sleeves, which made it all the more impressive.
I also knew a guy for 10 YEARS that had a blackhead on his ear. Never told him. Watched it everytime he wasn't looking, wondering if it was even possible for him to find it without the right mirror.
This problem of mine (and possibly yours... Katie C. are you reading this?) manifests itself in different ways. I was a nose nazi with my babies. Couldn't let it go - even if they had a cold. And it's not like I wanted to be this way... or that I even thought it was bad to have the dried up snot all over their faces. I just couldn't stop thinking about it. I COULDN'T, as in, it wasn't possible.
And the list goes on and on - I can get fixated on any number of things. For instance:
1. I once knew a kid whose k-9 teeth were right next to his front teeth - wrong spot. Couldn't stop looking at them.
2. Moles. Nuff said.
3. A mashed finger that never gets better.
4. A HALF finger from a mowing accident.
5. In 3rd grade Belinda Adams' blonde hair was green after the summer - I stared at it every day in lunch in total amazement. I was sad it didn't make it til Christmas.
6. Dirty ears.
7. Dirt lines in someone's neck. (mostly just kids these days.)
8. Woobies in the corner of someone's eyes.
9. Talk balls in the corner of someone's mouth. One of my favorites. ("When will they feel 'em there - can't they feel them stretching out like that?")
10. The one-thick-shoe-sole man.
I know... it seems ridiculous, maybe even mean, but there's not a whole lot you can do about it. I've been told I was "mean spirited," and have felt bad on occasion, but then I read an article in a magazine called "ADDitude" (which is a great magazine dedicated to educacting people on ADD) that gave reasons why someone does this. How they may have a sense of "hyper-focus" and struggle to let stuff go. It could be anything... a fight; a slight oddity; a desire for a specific food item; etc. Well, that's me. I could be minding my own business & having lunch - and well, if the music is even slightly audible, it's very possible that I could get fixated on a bass guitar line, even if I'm carrying on a conversation with someone across the table. And well, if someone walks by with only one leg... I'm toast. Lunch over.
But anyway... there IS hope. And here's how I know. The other day I was in the kitchen and Chloe was watching a news show. Well, there was a girl on there who was a swimmer of some sort and she had no feet. I wasn't paying attention to the show. So Chloe says, "Rewind that Evalee - I wanna show daddy the girl swimmer with no feet." To which I replied, "That's okay honey - I don't really wanna see it." To which Heather sarcastically replied, "Wow; that's a first. You sure you don't wanna see the freak show?!?!" What can I say? She just doesn't understand.
I was proud though. I really didn't wanna see. And it's not because I had seen it before either. I've see "The Half Ton Man" on A and E about 17 times and I'm thinking about ordering the DVD. Fascinating.
Anyway, me not asking Ev to rewind it so I could try to figure out how a girl with no feet gets a spot on a swim team is proof positive that people can change.
Oh -and if you wanna check out the magazine "ADDitude," here's the website for ya. Great stuff!
10 comments:
yeah, I tend to do this w/ medical anomalies/"mysteries" on the DH channel & IRL 9in real life) and have to watch every thing disgusting, weird & crude... like the woman that was "pregnant" for 20 years (stone baby/
lithopedion/ectopic pregnancy), conjoined twin dissection/separation, "tree" man, etc. (the only "anomaly" I find almost unbearable, but I can't stop looking is the damn Duggar family... LOL Although, they are people I would seriously make fun of in public if I ever saw them IRL. I would purposely point and laugh. I'm not even joking.)
Is it really ADD or is it just a fascination with the unknown/unfamiliar, and we choose to be more interested than scornful?
idk... I know w/ the medical condition I have, if I let the 2+ hour a day "grooming" go for more than 1-2 days, I would more than welcome to join the circus freak show, and people have pointed & stared, made fun of, etc. I wish more people would be more interested than scornful. But, people don't really care that much, so- whatev.
BTW- ditto on the website. Really great info! Thanks for sharing it!
hahahaha
I hear that. sometimes you just can't stop looking at that stuff!
You are truly a kindred spirit dude.....
Karl J. in high school had the lip scum in the corners of his mouth...I could NEVER understand how he got girls to KISS HIM! bLECHY!
JUST told kelle how when my girls were babies, they had the cleanest noses and ears. it was like OCD. you would have had to tie me down to leave stuff in there. they'd be crying and I'd be like, "almost done, almost done, last one, I promise..."
and remember the little boy I babysat? he had cradle cap. bad. and dirty ears. I couldn't help it. cleaned his ears and took him outside in the grass with a fine-toothed comb till the stuff was gone. actually offended his mom.
So how did you miss that lady from NCC with the missing finger?
Oh I can think of a few more stories......not foot in mouth ones.......just funny things you notice about people, but don't say out loud. I like it when we both notice things we don't even have to say anything but we can't help ourselves! Well that doesn't happen much anymore because we don't live in the same state! So now I just look forward to your stories. By the way I have one for you from the weekend!
Do tell... I'm giving you a call!
My hubby, ADD King of Texas, bless his heart, spells magic, "majic" just like you!!! Interesting...
By the way, loved the book! Scott and Bob are reading it next!
Majic is spelled with a "j" when you use it in that context...but ONLY when talkinj about little arms ans such nonsense. But only people with enjlish dejrees know that jrammatical rule.
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