Dont split the pole

It is rather funny that most people are blissfully unaware of the unusual tics, OCD’s or idiosyncrasies that many of the people around them have……I actually have many… and when people who have known me for a long time discover one of my many quirks they always seem rather surprised.  To me…..it is just a part of life.  It seems that often times people are interested or amused by this.

 

Maybe people are just as surprised about me as I was the other night when I watched my eldest daughter repeatedly (10 or 15 times) lap on hand sanitizer.  I thought to myself…..“Oh no, not a germ-a-fobe”…..  I actually had a serious bout with being a germ-a-fobe around the time she was born and it lasted for years…….I am not sure exactly what made it pass but thank goodness it did.  Some peoples lives are completely overwhelmed with this illness……I was a lucky one.

 

Sierah has been advanced since the day she was born……always doing things very early, even as a tiny baby…  and then as a very young child being moved directly out of pre-school to a magnet school (She scored the highest score on her DIAL test out of her entire school and was then we were offered a choice of any magnet school in the city) and was then enrolled into a school for the fine arts and was mainstreamed in a program for gifted children.  Years later she scored so high on her ISTEP test in middle school that Northwestern University wanted her to come to College and skip High School all together. 

 

Brag session on my daughter…..not actually, just trying to remind people that they shouldn’t always associate people with tics or “quirks” with people who are mentally slow……they effect many different people……all ends of the spectrum.

 

When Devon was diagnosed with the Tourettes and we saw Doctor after Doctor they always asked about family history of Tics and OCD’s.  Interestingly enough that’s when I realized Sierah had several……one that still effects only her and no one (unless she tells them) would ever know is that she has to eat things in twos.  (Items like skittles or French fries.)  If she has an uneven amount of them she either wont eat the last one, gives it to someone else, or throws it away.  Yesterday while Tricia, Marcus, Sierah and I were all together we were eating twizler bites.  I ate a few but didn’t want anymore.  Sierah came over and handed me one……I said “No thank you”……she just stood there looking at me and then said, “Marcus gave me an extra one on purpose.”  So I ate it for her.  It never use to effect anyone other than her but the other day we were all at Pizza Hut and I had an uneven amount of things on my plate and she asked me to get another one……I obliged.  Maybe becoming a little more advanced……but they do tend to worsen or wane…..nature of the beast I guess.

 

I cant say any of my OCD’s are like that but I have a few……..I have a serious problem “splitting a pole.”  I am sure it is something that started with me as a superstition but now it has increased in intensity.  Last night I noticed it when taking groceries out of the car…..the “pole” was the tree in the park strip between the street and my side walk.  Acacia was taking groceries out of the car too and I hadn’t noticed what way she went……I stood and paused and actually thought about it for a moment….trying not to split the pole.  She must of noticed and said, “I can’t believe how many people at school wont split a pole.” 

 

Maybe it’s just superstition…..or maybe something else……but whatever it is if you’re ever walking with me…..please try not to split the pole…..you might just have to go back and go back around it the right way.  (Just ask Devon….we all routinely make him go back around the pole!) 

 

“Devon!  You split the pole!”  ***As he slowly walks back, hanging his head down shaking it back and forth…….

 

me