Ways In Which I'm a Little "Odd"

[naturegeek]

I was thinking of calling this discussion "ways in which I'm a bit Autistic" but didn't want to limit it :) OCD, "Monkish", eccentric, quirky, weird, and even dysfunctional (putting the FUN back in dysfunctional!) will do as well! What weird habits, tics, obsessions, quirks, etc do you have/do that make you wonder if you maybe would have been diagnosed with sets of letters if you were a kid today? These are the things that make us interesting, and sometimes embarrass us in polite company. So, screw polite company, let's celebrate our weirdnesses! :)

[naturegeek]

I'm a "picker" - I tend to find things on my body to pick at, semi-unconsciously, and sometimes find myself doing it in front of others, having zoned out into a thousand yard stare while doing it, as if, if I'm "not there," no one will see me. Lately, it's been that lovely product of mid-life, CHIN WHISKERS! I pluck my chin hairs with my fingernails. It's sooo satisfying to get a good one! And when I can feel them sprouting, I almost can NOT help myself and NEED to pick them. I'm old enough now to laugh at myself if caught, but I think it embarrasses or discomforts others more, and so I try not to do it in public. It's only a few hairs, not enough really to wax or anything...

When I was a teenager, of course, it was zits. I don't miss those, though occasionally still get them. I'm not driven to pick them anymore, though. In my 20's I used to have bumps on my upper arms that I'd pick. Scabs are still impossible - I get a little papercut on my finger and pretty soon practically need to amputate because I have the skin on the whole knuckle scabbed after all the picking.

Sigh.

So, am I a little autistic in that habit? OCD? or just kind of gross and weird? It's all good :)

[LAly]

I don't know of a fun acronym for the picking thing. That's the only one I've heard of.

I'm so ADD. Like seriously. I can't focus on anything if there's anything else I *could* focus on. It's baaaad.

[naturegeek]

ewww - the tricho-something-mania link! I don't pick anything that is supposed to be there, like eyelashes, brows (I don't even pluck 'em) or other socially acceptable hair... just the new "beard" which I normally pluck in the privacy of my bathroom, but can't seem to stop my fingers from straying to my chin to check for new sprouts elsewhere, too.

I'm so ADD I've invented a cheer for it!

Give me an "A"!

Give me a "D"!

Give me a - LOOK A SQUIRREL!!!
*runs away*

[naturegeek]

So I guess... I only pick things that in my mind don't belong there. It's a type of dermatological perfectionism, perhaps! ha.

[naturegeek]

I just realized that the "ewww" above is totally contrary to the spirit of the discussion I'd hoped to start! What I MEANT was, Owww! That would hurt. I hate pulling hairs from my head, or plucking my eyebrows, even - makes my eyes water and my nose sting! I wouldn't be offended or grossed out by someone that did that, but... OWWWW!

[Deb S]

OMG, the poor babies. The ones with triki tiki tavi thing. God. But good healthy picking -- Oh YEAH. I'm lucky I didn't go through an acne stage because when I get a pimple, I canNOT leave it alone. And chin whiskers, yup. I've got one that grows out of a little skin colored mole right under my chin and I'm always feeling for it. I don't know how you manage to pluck it with your fingers though. My fingernails just slide right off of it. I finally have to get up, go get the giant magnifying reader glasses that I bought in the drug store this year (love em-good for splinters) and pluck it out with the tweezers. I like to tug on it though.

[naturegeek]

Ahh the joys of being women of "a certain age"! Tugging on one's chin whiskers is a joy that young 'uns just can't appreciate. :) The ones I have to pluck are very coarse and easy to grab, plus I have strong hard nails. But I did get one out that should have won a prize, once! Nowadays when I get what seem like zits, they are usually ingrown hairs, and I had this one, that when I finally got the hair out, it was coiled around and around and was about 4 inches long!! I had to show my husband - look what I grew!!! He was so proud. :) I had to keep the prize-winning hair for a while, there on the bathroom counter, just so we could admire it and feel the awesome.

[Evelyne]

I must say that I can relate to this; there is nothing more satisfying in life than removing something on your body yourself that you don't think should be there. Like you are performing your own doctoring. I am guilty of this too...

[naturegeek]

It's like superficial surgery! I LOVE surgery! hahaha.

I love watching those shows on TV where they show real surgery - my husband can't look. I, on the other hand, can't look when people hurt themselves, like on America's Funniest Home Videos where people crash their bikes or fall off of trampolines! I Can't watch the injury, but I love to watch them fix it! The inside of the body is SO cool.

I think my lovely chin whiskers are gross, but removing them is fun. In a weird way. But someday, I'm not gonna be able to even SEE those suckers, and I'll be a bearded old lady. My husband is so wonderful, though, he'll probably stroke my beard and tell me it's beautiful. :)

[Evelyne]

HAHA!
I have this one, thick hair that grows from under my chin, and I can't wait to have a go at it when it comes back. There is a method to it though. You can't just pull at it willy-nilly. If you do this, it will break off and you will go insane with rage. You must pull gently, using tweezers, to exract the root.

[naturegeek]

Bearded lady Nerdfighters FTW!! HAHAHA

Absolutely, you must be verrrry, verrry careful! I HATE it when I try too early and break one off.

It's funny because I'm pretty sure no one else can see them. But *I* can!! Except some of them are gray now, and that makes it even more challenging. Have to do it in the right light, or just by feel. I'm getting pretty good with my "fingernail tweezers" method, though.

[naturegeek]

We aren't bearded ladies, we're Hirsute Honeys! Or something :)