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Stupid Habits


Belle
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Did you acquire stupid habits while in TWI? I sometimes felt like Julia Roberts in "Sleeping With the Enemy".

When I fixed coffee in the morning I had to make sure the handle to the coffee maker, the stir spoon and the handle on the coffee mug all faced the same way.

When I loaded the dishwashwer all the spoons had to go into one slot, all the forks in another, etc. Don't ever think about mixing spoons & forks & knives in the same slot!

Vaccuum so that you have those darn triangles in the carpet.

Do you have any?

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When we cook fish every dish must be cleaned immediately afterwards and I work hard to make sure there is no odor.

I try to keep clutter down by removing at least 5 things off the kitchen counter top every morning and every afternoon and putting it away.

I still try to use Mrs. Owens style manners at the table. Even if I'm eating while wearing my pj's.

I can't say the word "Catholic" without saying "Roman" prior to it.

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To my knowledge...

All the "stupid habits" I accquired in twi have gone away...

Of course that is not to say I didn't/don't have some "stupid habits" before twi and since (and still kept/keep icon_redface.gif:o-->)

To get over "silly habits", you have to ask yourself, "does this habbit really even matter"? And learn to accept that other people might have a different way of doing things.

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Oh my goodness... I have often wondered if I was always this way or trained to it in twi?

It drives me crazy for things to be crooked: books, mug handles, furniture, hanging pictures...

I've tried to think back and the best I can come up with is that I already had a natural tendency to see when things were crooked, but four years of forced chair-stringing wedged the door in my brain open and now the spirit of perfect-alignment comes and goes as he pleases.

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quote:
Originally posted by Belle:

Did you acquire stupid habits while in TWI? I sometimes felt like Julia Roberts in "Sleeping With the Enemy".

When I fixed coffee in the morning I had to make sure the handle to the coffee maker, the stir spoon and the handle on the coffee mug all faced the same way.

When I loaded the dishwashwer all the spoons had to go into one slot, all the forks in another, etc. Don't ever think about mixing spoons & forks & knives in the same slot!

Vaccuum so that you have those darn triangles in the carpet.

Do you have any?


Wow.

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Originally posted by ChasUFarley:

When we cook fish every dish must be cleaned immediately afterwards and I work hard to make sure there is no odor.

I try to keep clutter down by removing at least 5 things off the kitchen counter top every morning and every afternoon and putting it away.

These actually sound like GOOD habits (and there's nothing wrong with good manners, either!) icon_smile.gif:)-->

George

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1. I am absolutely petrified of being late for anything. (one time I was reproved for being five minutes early instead of 10). The result is I have to fight the feeling that the clock is constantly nipping at my behind. It is very very frustrating.

2. I must accomplish "stuff" during the day, cannot take a day off without feeling bad about myself.

3. I cannot stand for my house to be even a little bit disorganized (which it usually is so I drive myself nuts)

4. All my "sponsies" must be done before I can really relax, which means I never get to.

Prior to twi I was a bit of a slob. Now I find myself driven to get everything done. A happy medium would be nice for a change.

5. This one is really the one that bothers me the most - figuring out how to entertain. I used to be very relaxed about having people over. It was mi casa su casa. Now I feel very stiff and formal and can't seem to relax. I keep thinking my guest(s) are going to notice the dust I missed when I was cleaning or are going to think I am a bad hostess.

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None of my habits listed above were ones I had before TWI. These are things my husband required of me. icon_rolleyes.gif:rolleyes:--> That's why it reminds me of "Sleeping With the Enemy". I accidentally dropped a spoon in with some forks the other day and almost had an anxiety attack.

Now.....I do and always have had my spices organized in alphabetical order with all the labels facing out. icon_biggrin.gif:D-->

I just think of some of the stupid things we did or had to do because of TWI or individuals we lived with and how those stupid requirements become odd habits. I purposely vacuum differently now, but I do still tend to drop the silverware in its "proper" place. I purposely don't line up the coffee pot, spoon and mug handle anymore, though (unless I have company).

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Abigail, my family home has always been the hang out place for all the friends of all of my family. My mom and dad are awesome hosts. When I got out of TWI my mom sent me this article by Erma Bombeck:

quote:
If I Had My Life to Live Over

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's" ... more "I'm sorry's" ... but mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute ... look at it and really see it ... live it ... and never give it back.

Stop sweating the small stuff. Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what. Instead, let's cherish the relationships we have with those who DO love us. Let's think about what we HAVE, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally, as well as spiritually.

Life is too short to let it pass you by. We only have one shot at this and

then it's gone.


I keep it on my fridge and it has really helped me "get over myself". Now my house is the hang out place for all the women in the neighborhood and most days I love it. I always love that they feel comfortable enough to come over anytime and they know it's okay to put their feet on the couch or prop them up on the coffee table. (That NEVER would have happened when I was married)

We've even had a few neighborhood street parties in my garage over the past few months. It's a great neighborhood and it's great having friends and neighbors who aren't watching every move you make and waiting for you to screw up.

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I still have to put my hand over my mouth to keep from saying, "Be healed in the name of Jesus Christ" every time a boo-boo happens to little children around me.

I still find myself replacing a negative thought with 3 positive thoughts.

I still catch myself thinking, "What's available, what do I do with it..." etc, when I'm going to make a purchase.

I still ask if a person is 'available' when I call on the telephone.

I still think about the "4 Ds of Doulos(sp?) Doing" when I have more than one good choice or preferance about something.

Whenever I see somebody talking with their fork in their hand, I think of piffle.

The manners stuff was taught to me at age 4 and ongoing to age 14, so I can't credit twi with that...but I can credit my mother and the Girl Scouts of America.

When I'm feeling particularly vulnerable in life, I find myself taking different routes to places I frequent...just to be on the safe side.

This stuff goes deep, doesn't it?

And some people don't think it really was brainwashing...

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Hang something on my refrigerator? eeek!!!

Just kidding, I have stuff hanging all over the fridge from the kids. icon_smile.gif:)--> I love Erma Bombeck, I used to read her books when I was a teenager.

I have made progress in breaking out of the mold. Remember how in TWI everyone's houses were either white or light pastels? Well we moved into a new house this past spring that was white from top to bottom, even the carpet. I started small by putting bright flowers and butterflies on the bathroom walls with a really colorful shower curtain.

Then I put a bunch of very colorful throw rugs, blankets and pillows in the livingroom.

I painted the "breakfast nook" walls of the kitchen orange. Then two weeks ago I painted my cupboards yellow and purple. It is hideously wonderfuly colorful and the kitchen has now become my favorite room in the house.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of Oenophile's company and we are hoping in the very near future that Shell will come pay us a visit. We are also hoping Oen will come visit again very soon.

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Freedom from being an anal obsesive compulsive freak came to me one day when I was enduring yet another brow beating for my inability to keep everything in order....(never mind the fact that I had had four childrn in under five years and was preggers yet again)

Out of the blue, it dawned on me that neat sock drawers, clean fridge tops, perfectly manacured lawns did NOT prevent twi`s leadership at hq from being some of the evilest sob`s to walk the planet in recent memory.

It dawned on me that their obsesive tidiness did NOT prevent some of the residents of hq from causing much hurt and damage to folks lives....

Dunno, it made me realise that it was ok to relax....being a slob will not affect my spirituality any more than excessive cleanliness affected those abiding at hq.

It is ok to play with the babies instead of freaking out over the messes being made.

I get to stuff when and if I want to.

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Belle... what you wrote made me shiver...

I ALWAYS NOTICED THAT! I would do some sort of setup for the coffee, milk, sugar, etc.. and the F.C would come by and redo the spoons on the plate so they all faced the same way! It always bothered me!

AARGH! Just do it yr damn self instead of letting someone else be "blessed" by doing it.

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quote:
1. I am absolutely petrified of being late for anything. (one time I was reproved for being five minutes early instead of 10). The result is I have to fight the feeling that the clock is constantly nipping at my behind. It is very very frustrating.

2. I must accomplish "stuff" during the day, cannot take a day off without feeling bad about myself.

4. All my "sponsies" must be done before I can really relax, which means I never get to.


Actually these three were driven in by my parents especially by my mother. TWI JUst made it worse

Absolutely hate being late--preplan weeks in advance, alarm clock and back up

Yup got to accomplish something everyday

ANd the "sponsies"-- that is really scary --this is a true story just happened last night

Finishing the border on an afghan had about 2 feet to go. Working really fast--PAt noticed me and made a comment about how fast I was crocheting, and I said

"I have to finish, I'm thirsty and can't get a drink until I'm done"

SHe asked me to repeat what I said I did and then she said ""OOOOOKAAAAAAY"

As I repeated it I realized just how scary it was and just how deep a hold all that teaching (coupled with plenty of ""REproof") was still ingrained in my psyche.

I was sitting there thirsty, and would not allow myself a glass of water because of some artificially created rule that some dark recess of my brain --where the voices of TWI and my mother live-- said I couldn't until I finished this Christmas present.

It sounds so STUPID-- yet There I was crocheting like a fiend while my tongue cried for moisture.

I think the bizaare teachings of TWI And my Mother are gone and then SLAM there they are in all their twisted demonic glory

Will I ever be free??

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"Whether TWI developed those OCD's in ones life or one had those habits prior TWI~~~ Well?"

Perhaps a little of both, but I think TWI definitely exacerbated things.

1. I was never stiff or formal around people pre-TWI, in fact it was the exact opposite.

2. My mom was definitely a neat freak and I am sure I learned some of that from here. However I was never a neat freak until TWI.

3. I have never liked being late because in school, if you walked in late, the entire class looked at you and I just wanted to shrivel up and disappear. However, I was never as bad then as I am now. Now I will get worried about being late to work when it doesn't even matter if I am. I normally arrive at 8:15 but honestly, if I didn't show up until 9, my boss wouldn't even blink an eye. But I still worry about it.

4. Being driven to get stuff done definitely comes from twi. Pre TWI, I could care less. I wasn't even a good student in school because I didn't care if I got my work done or not. But I remember when the guilt about being lazy first started cropping up and it was definitely in TWI.

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MO,

Now that is scary! Though I am the same way sometimes. I'll be working on something and need to go to the bathroom or something and I'll be thinking, "I need to hurry up and finish this" instead of just stopping what I'm doing. Though, I think in my case, it is often because I am "on a roll" and I don't want to lose that roll.

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quote:
Out of the blue, it dawned on me that neat sock drawers, clean fridge tops, perfectly manacured lawns did NOT prevent twi`s leadership at hq from being some of the evilest sob`s to walk the planet in recent memory.

It dawned on me that their obsesive tidiness did NOT prevent some of the residents of hq from causing much hurt and damage to folks lives....

Dunno, it made me realise that it was ok to relax....being a slob will not affect my spirituality any more than excessive cleanliness affected those abiding at hq.

It is ok to play with the babies instead of freaking out over the messes being made


rascal, their obsessive tidiness is because they have someone else to keep them tidy. they never have to freak out about messes being made; they have maids. what a bunch of phonies. i would LOVE to see how they would live without slaves.

ok maybe bo reahard is the exception ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

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Guess I would have to say I still like things in their places, but I do find myself battling stupid habits from time to time. I was taught to place the stick of butter on the butter plate in such a way that you NEVER touch it with any part of any finger. You are to manipulate the wrapper just so, using the point of your index finger, on the paper of course, to delicately remove the wrapper. All this was so that no hint of a finger print should appear on the stick. While trying to do this just the other day, I got so frustrated that I just grabbed the darn stick of butter with my whole hand (gasp!) and plopped it down. We all survived the meal and no one indicated that they even noticed my palm print all over the butter.

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