Welcome To My World

Last night Chris asked me, "Are you finished with the paper?" That sounds like an innocent enough question. After all, when most people finish the paper you can tell they are finished. The paper ends up being a mess. Not so for me. If I get the paper first I will look at it section by section. I begin by setting the inserts aside. I then begin with the last section. After reading each section I fold it neatly and then place it back in the correct order. I then look at whatever inserts interest me and then return them to the paper. This process becomes a little more difficult if someone has beaten me to the paper. Before I can begin to read the paper I must straighten it and get it back together. Then I can look at it. When I finish, the paper appears to look as if no one has looked at it yet. Hence the question, "Are you finished with the paper?"

It doesn't end with the paper. Lets go grocery shopping. Items must be placed in the cart neatly, not just thrown and piled in. Ideally, similar things should be together. Same is true for placing the items on the belt for the checker, especially with refrigerated and frozen goods. It doesn't stop when I get home. First, don't help! Let me do it! The canned goods must be placed in the pantry grouped according to what it is. Soups and canned meats on one shelf, canned fruits and vegetables one another, all labels facing the front, etc. The same goes for the refrigerator and the freezer. You know the drill, "A place for everything, and everything in its place."

I tend to also group and arrange the glasses in the cupboard also. Like colors together. We have some of the glasses like they have at some restaurants. You know the kind. They are blue plastic, have a smooth pebbly finish and a soft drink logo printed on them. Our cups have the Pepsi logo. When ever I put these up the Pepsi logos must all be facing the front. If not, I have to fix them. In another cupboard we have cups/mugs. All are grouped according to style and since these are the Campbell's Soup mugs they are arranged with the graphics facing the front. Isn't it horrible?

When Chris does the wash she will hang up the pants and shirts at one end of the curtain rod for me to tend to later. Why? Well the clothes on the rod are arranged in order by what article they are and by color. It goes something like this: Seasonal items (Sweaters and such); Dress Pants grouped by colors; Long sleeve dress shirts grouped by patterns and then colors. Then I have Polo style shirts with stripes grouped by predominate color and comes the solid Polo style shirts grouped by color. Near the end I have t-shirts grouped by color. At the end I have a section of t-shirts that I have received as prizes from various promotions. Oh by the way, all the hangers are white plastic. No colors for the hangers and definitely NO WIRE HANGERS!

The same goes for the socks in the sock drawer, as well as other items of clothing.

At work I have been accused of being Obsessive-Compulsive. I will take out a ruler or tape measure to determine how to place something on the wall. It must be evenly spaced. It must be hanging straight. I even clean the room before the custodian comes in to clean the room. I don't like a messy room. My students know that I don't like a messy room. they help pick up any trash and make sure the chairs are pushed under the tables.

My grandson, Jace, likes to sort things and place them in order also. Just like his Grandpa.

Thanks Jace for the compliment.

Welcome to my world!"


© 2007 Barry T Horst



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