I have a problem and I'm willing to admit it. I actually think a lot of people know about it, at least people that I grew up with or roommates in college, but maybe not everyone I know. I am a slob. Well, that one everyone who has ever stepped into my house know that one, no surprise there. But I am majorly terrified of germs. I've decided to blog about it because I can never say it in person and I really hope I don't offend anyone who has ever done any of the things that I am about to say. It's not you, it's me, but at the time, it's you.
I think everyone knows that I am a germaphobe. I'm not sure to the extent of how bad it is. Here are some examples:
1. I wash my hands a ton. After each step when I am cooking, I wash my hands. If I touch someone, I can't touch anything else until I wash my hands. In fact, my hands are so dry that there is a visible line on my wrist where I stop scrubbing my hands. My mother-in-law even said it looks like I am always wearing pink gloves because my hands are just raw.
2. In college, I had 3 anxiety attacks within a week of each other. I was doing the dishes, but I just pictures the germs on the plates spreading around my kitchen. Luckily I talked to my psychologist brother who gave me a few tips and breathing exercises to help me get over it. I told the doctors that I saw that I must have been stressed from school which must have triggered it. It was really germs.
3. I hate public restrooms and I hate public people using my private restroom. There is a reason why I have an upstairs bathroom and a downstairs bathroom. Down is for guests, up is for me. The other day, I have a good friend come over, but the downstairs bathroom was out of TP (I don't go in it very often), so she went upstairs. I had to wait 5 hours until Olivia went to sleep so that my toilet could be bleached before I could go to the bathroom.
4. At church, I am the assistant Achievement Days leader which just means that a bunch of 8-11-year-old girls come to my house and do an activity. Yesterday they came over to do pedicures. They soaked their feet then exfoliated and painted their nails. Several of the girls asked if I would paint their toenails, but I just said "No, I'm not good at that". What I really should have said was, "no because I don't want your toe fungus germs to crawl up my arms, don't want to have to bleach my hands, and even worse, don't want to breath in dead skin cells." Even worse, their foot-soaked-water-bucket water was poured down my kitchen sink even though there were a few dishes in there. (I baked several cakes and watched 5 children all day yesterday). Then I couldn't use the kitchen at all until I bleached my sink.
Those are just a few examples. Embarrassing, yeah, probably. But, I guess this is my way to say don't use my bathroom please.
So, a couple of things--1. I don't remember you being a slob when we were companions!! You were actually one of my neater companions, if I recall right (which I probably don't, but take the compliment anyways).
ReplyDelete2. I'm sorry that germs are such a big phobia for you!! I'll tell ya--for someone who is such a germaphobe, you did AWESOME in Taiwan, which I think is one of the dirtiest places I've ever been...
3. You're still an amazing person. We all have our quirks and weird little oddities, but you seem to handle it well. So good job on you!!
And, P.S.--sorry we had to share a bathroom. :O)
ReplyDeleteWow, I didn't realize you were such a freak until now! Why is it that whenever I bugged you about your anxiety attacks, you never gave me a straight answer, but now I read it on the internet for all to see? I had no idea you had that bathroom issue. Did you have to clean your toilet after I used it over and over again? Or is family different? Kelvers may have given you tips on how to handle your anxiety, but I'm telling you I will cure you with exposure therapy. Yep, I'll change your life for the better and it all begins with your hand in a public toilet and then we'll progress to more difficult things. Summer 2013, baby!
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