People are funny, don’t you think? And I don’t mean in a comical, ha-ha sort of way; I’m talking about beingNow don’t get me wrong; we all have our quirks, some more severe than others. I guess the trick is in surrounding ourselves with people whose quirks are tolerable. Failing that, at least choose friends whose quirkiness is entertaining, if nothing else.Lest you think I don’t consider myself quirky, you’d think wrong. And here are 3 reasons why:

* In the shower, I’m on automatic pilot. I always wash in the same order. I start from the top and work my way down. I wash my hair first, then my face, then my body. No deviating from that or I may forget if I already washed my face. I know this because I tried it once.* I have a habit of interrupting. I inherited this from my talkative mother. But it’s a bad trait I’d rather not possess and one I need to work on. Still, I’m not optimistic for a positive outcome. * I’m a slow eater. You can bet I’ll be last to put my fork down at a meal, so if you eat fast, I will most likely annoy the hell out of you.

I’m sure my family and friends have a long list of my quirks they’d be happy to share with you. But let’s concentrate on their idiosyncrasies, shall we?

Have you ever seen that Seinfeld episode about the close talker? He’s the guy who stands inside your comfort zone and gets so close you can smell last night’s garlic bread on his breath or spot microscopic nose hairs. I had a friend like that once (since moved).

The close talker

Lydia had absolutely no clue that when she spoke to people, she stood a mere foot away, practically nose to nose. She never noticed people backing up as they talked to her, trying to retreat into that 2-3 foot radius known as “personal space.” I, myself, became rather adept at doing the back-step with good-old Lyd.Then there’s the loud talker. In fact, I had lunch with my loud talking friend not long ago. Unfortunately, we were in a very small restaurant with horrible acoustics. Voices carried like butterflies in the wind. As there were only a dozen tables in the place and just 2 other parties dining, my friend’s voice carried more than usual. It was the longest lunch of my life.Instead of shushing my friend, I tried talking softly so she would do the same. No go. (So much for subtlety.) I didn’t have the heart to ask her to lower her voice. She can’t help it, she’s just loud.

Some people’s quirks are because of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). My friend’s husband has a mild case. Dave has a list of “habits” that often entertain his wife and then subsequently entertain me when she recounts them.

Oh, let’s see…each morning he stirs his coffee exactly 25 times; uses his razors a set number of days, then brings them on vacation to be used precisely once more before being discarded; always wears the same shirt when he gets his hair cut; the list goes on and on…

…23, 24, 25

One friend can’t have the food on her plate touching. Another will absolutely never wear Capri pants because she thinks they make her calves look fat. (They don’t.) Or how about my vegetarian friend who hates vegetables? I tell ya, people are funny.

Actually, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t have traits that someone else doesn’t find perplexing. But to us, what we do is perfectly normal, so what’s all the fuss? Anyway, I suppose these traits help keep life entertaining. And as a bonus, they also give us ammo with which to tease our friends.

Now if you will excuse me, I must go make my decaf latte. It’s 3:00 p.m. you know, and whenever I’m home at 3:00 p.m., I always have a decaf latte.

What can I say? I’m quirky.