Monday, 9 October 2006

Hey, It works for me!

Idiosyncratic things you do that are just fine with you.. can these be appreciated by others?

I once had a neighbour who enjoyed orange juice in her breakfast cereals instead of milk. I knew a child who squirted ketchup into her vegetable soup. Most of us have weird but ingenious methods for saving some time or money, but rarely share these idiosyncrasies... I wonder why?

I suspect its for fear of what others might say or worse still think... I remember my darling ex husband making me throw out 2/3 of a pot of chilli, claiming that it was left overs and only pigs ate left overs!... I couldn't get over the waste for the sake of appearances.... and the irony was he is a pig (in the employment field, not literally ~~ tho' sometimes I wonder about that too - but I realise I shouldn't type that cos then I might appear bitter! ah for keeping up appearances!!)

Anyway, back to the food - what my partner hadn't realised was that I'd deliberately made more than we could eat, just to have the pleasure of eating it the next day for lunch. What did I do?... I left a message on top of the box

Important message: they aren't leftovers,
they are Planned-overs!!!
.... and I like 'Planned Overs'.

His retort?.... 'only lazy fat people eat lunch'....


I'm delighted that our relationship is much improved now we no longer have to interact with each other. I guess if Soulmates are made--not encountered in some cosmic game of Marco Polo, we didnt 'make' it!

Other things I do... Ive noticed or that have been pointed out to me include..... when I am going from one part of the house to the other, I have to recite my mission out loud: keys, washing, feed the cats. keys, washing, feed the cats. keys, washing, feed the cats. Otherwise I will get out to the car with no keys, the cats have started throwing themselves underfoot in a bid to get noticed and fed, and there are no towels for the shower.
Actually, as I've typed that it's reminded me of a time when my little habit caused me some concern... I work for myself and have an office at home, so usually my buzzing around trying to remember ten different tasks at once with a mind that can barely hold onto one isn't a problem. However, on one occasion when meeting a client in their office I went to use the facilities and didnt realise that I was 'thinking aloud' when a lady using one of the other cubicles called out, "Are you talking to me?" I didnt know how to reply... How very embarrassing I dont mind telling you!

Also, in a vain attempt to be economical and efficient... I can't leave a room without picking something up that doesn't belong there and taking it somewhere else. So I spend way too much time carrying 'stuff' around with me whilst planning circuits for drop offs!...

Hmm... maybe I should be more concerned with appearances... maybe I would've in my younger days... and now I realise that I should be me and not a version of me that someone would prefer me to be. There's a line somewhere in Hemingway which goes; "The war still went on, but we didn't go to it anymore." Perhaps this phrase captures my state of mind which has slowly settled on me - a kind of disengagement. Its still a war for some.... but it's no longer my war.

<~~ sneaks off to enjoy 'planned overs' for tea!



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