I Think I Might Have a Problem

Can you have specific OCD or does it have to infiltrate your whole life? I wrote a while back about my OCD when it comes to my shoes and their care and storage. Generally I'm a little messy, I'm a piler (a piler, not a plier) of books, magazines, etc. It's fortunate for me, on so many levels, that I have a weekly housekeeper because it forces me to clear horizontal surfaces and put things away in preparation for Ana's Tuesday visits.

I'm pretty certain I'm not a germaphobe but I might be heading that way. I have never liked having my hands dirty for any length of time. I get to soap and water ASAP and always have wipes in my purse and car.

These are some of the habits that seem to be growing and which make me wonder.....

After ordering and closing the menu in a restaurant, I either use hand sanitizer, wipes, or head for the nearest restroom. Who KNOWS what was on the hands of the last diner? And I need AT LEAST two napkins; one for my lap and one for my hands and mouth. An extra one just in case is good, too.

I really don't care for finger food. I'm lucky I can eat a sandwich. When eating chips or nachos, I wipe my fingers off on a napkin or paper towel every two to three. Grease! Although I CAN pick up a slice of pizza, it's not uncommon to see me use a knife and fork. But I LOVE pizza so I struggle through. Chicken wings, another favorite, are a serious problem.

Shake my hand? (Remember, I'm in business and meets lots of people) There are wipes in the car. I even tend to wipe off the steering wheel of my own car before tossing it into the trash.

Remotes in hotel rooms? Wipes. Keyboards & mice in libraries, etc.? Wipes. There are more, I'm sure, that don't come to mind immediately.

But what brought this on this morning? The newspaper. I was putting yesterday's paper in the recycling bin and had to move a copy of our little weekly paper. I love it but the little paper is not clean; the ink comes off the newsprint and makes my hands black. Not to mention the ink sometimes comes off the paper and gets on your clothes. Good thing it only comes out once a week.

Our daily and Sunday paper is clean! I was so thrilled when they announced that change a few years ago. I'm one of those who still prefers to read the paper in its orignal form. Good thing it's clean, I don't think newsprint would stand up well to hand sanitizer and wipes!

Looks Can Be So Deceiving

Is it possible to be OCD just about certain things in life? Or is OCD a condition that shows up everywhere?

Take a look in our closet:

Here's the other end. There are actually more shoes on the shelves to the right of those you can see:

I can't believe how much I have pared (not paired) down my shoes. I think there are about 75 pairs here. A couple years ago I sold 60 pairs on eBay. Sent my shoes all over the country. Hey, if I can't go, they might as well.

I'm not a compulsive shoe collector in the same sense as women with so-called shoe fetishes. You won't find any Prada, Jimmy Choo or Manolo Blahnick in my closet. (I wasn't even sure of the spelling of the last two) In fact, you won't find many with heels in there, certainly no high heels or pointy toes. I'm more into comfort: flats, clogs, boots, sandals. I do have a few pairs of heels in the requisite black for events that absolutely require them.

And unlike most women who buy a new outfit and then shop for a pair of shoes to match, I buy shoes and then find an outfit. What's my problem you ask? I have big feet. I am six feet tall and wear a size 12 shoe (quit snickering). At least I'm pretty certain I'll never blow over in the wind. And they are not easy to find.

When I was a kid we didn't have much money. I got the obligatory new pair of shoes for school annually. Back then finding shoes to fit was even more difficult, and when I did they often looked like something my Aunt Mabel would wear or maybe not. They could be that ugly.

My father was 6' 6" and as you'd expect also had big feet---14AA. He, too, had trouble finding shoes and clothes in his younger days. Consequently, he was the one who had the patience to take me shopping from store to store to find what I needed. I remember one year, I was maybe 12, when we actually found TWO affordable pairs. My father said that for a week every time he looked at me I had the other pair on. I kept going back into my room and changing. I was so excited to have TWO new pairs of shoes at the same time!

Consequently when I started buying my own I learned early to take care of them. Notice they are all in their original boxes? When I used to work in a more corporate atmosphere which required suits, dresses and heels, I had a 'driving shoe' in the car. As soon as I got in, I would slip my shoe off and put on the driving shoe so as not to scuff up the back of my right shoe.

So here comes the OCD....notice in the photos there are little pictures on the ends of the boxes? When I get a new pair, I take a photo and tape it to the end of the box. I used to just write a brief description on the box but tan sandals got a little confusing when it was written on six boxes. Which tan sandals?

My shoes seem to be one of the few places my OCD shows up. Otherwise, I'm a piler of books, magazines, mail, catalogs, bills, receipt, etc. Just take a look at my desk. I'm one of the most disorganized people I know accept when it comes to my shoe shelves!