Neurosis » CoupleDumb

Zombies in the closet and other things that are true.

Jan 292010

Not crazy. Multitasking.

          Have you ever wanted something and have known that if you have it ‘All would be right in the world’? Have you ever thought ‘I need to do this one more time so that everything will work out’? Have you ever not gone somewhere or done something because of a ‘bad feeling’? Have you ever looked at other people who think you are crazy as if they are the ones who are crazy since they don’t do the same things you do? Welcome then to Crazyville where in our world the population is two.

          Lee says: I have no shame in my game. I do some crazy things. However, all of my crazy things come with a great explanation or trauma attached, thus they are not only justified but entertaining. And, if you think about it, isn’t that what we all want? So here is my crazy list.

          Shower in the morning and before bed. No exceptions.

          The closet door must be closed so the dead can’t come out and touch you.

          The blinds or curtains must be closed at night completely lest you run the risk of seeing a A. alien. B. monster. C. zombie alien or D. zombie alien posing as an intruder.

          I must wear something red if I need luck that day.

          Never eat a dairy and citrus. Orange ice cream is an abomination.

          If I see a lizard, it will be a good day. If the lizard thinks I’m cute and tries to attract me with his red air sac, the day will be fantastic.

See, I’m perfectly normal.

          Paul responses: I do not mind the showers because it makes her smell good and I get to see her naked but I could do without her waking me in the middle of the night so that I can shower. The red undies are sexy. The closet, blinds and dairy thing are accurate. Everyone knows that they are true. Duh. I don’t like lizards.

          Paul says: OK, now my eccentric normalities.

          Snakes make me scream like a little girl.

          Frogs are snake heads with legs.

          When we got married, my biggest fear was that someone would trip. To be honest, it was that someone would be embarrassed. I just think that falling and breaking your teeth would be very embarrassing.

          My feet do not touch the floor in the morning unless the time is at the hour, half-hour, or quarter hour. For example, if it is 7:17, I will not get up until 7:30. If I miss it and the clock moves to 7:31 then (whoowhoo!) I get to sleep until 7:45. As far as I am concerned, this is not at all crazy. It is just a way to regulate my life such that everything in the universe stays properly in order. Some may call is obsessive. I call it responsible.

          Lee’s response to Paul’s ‘eccentric normalities’: Right. Normal.

          The snake and frog thing would not be a big deal if we didn’t live in the sticks, near the largest swamp in the United States (the Everglades) where the little buggers roam free. Hearing the girly scream makes me think zombies aliens have arrived and want my luggage. Oh, did I mention I have a weird luggage fetish? Maybe I’ll elaborate in some future post.

          As for the tripping/embarrassment fear, geesh! We were getting married. If you’ve seen some of the pics on Facebook you will see we had a fairly large wedding. I handled everything. And while I stressed over the minutia like food, music and booze, Paul apparently was in charge of inane worries and neurotic fears.

          As for the time thing, I call it lazy.

The Tale of Crazy Betty

Relationship Rejects

Jan 282010

It's the Mickey hand that makes her crazy.
          Sit down boys and girls as we tell you the tale of Betty. She is a cashier at our local large chain pharmacy. (The names have been changed to protect the cuckoo.) Or, as we like to call her, Crazy Betty. Of course we would never call her that to her face, not that she would notice since her unhingement has long supplanted her ability to read others affect.

          Paul says: Crazy Betty carries on one conversation all day and this discussion is evenly distributed over every customer that has the zany fortune to end up in her line. Notice that I did not say that it was a misfortune because there is nothing wrong with being caught up in Crazy Betty’s craziness short of a mild sensation of disorientation, kind of like that moment when you first notice that you have a good buzz going.

          Since they sell both milk and diapers, their prices are reasonable and they are open 24hours a day, I find myself at this pharmacy quite often. Being that Crazy Betty works something like 16 hours a day, I end up in her line all the time. At this point I think that I seek her out like my own disheveled pusher.

          ‘Can you tell that he works for the Renaissance Faire?’ she asked me one day. These were the first words that she had said to me that day so I had no clue who ‘he’ was and, to be honest, I could not tell that he works for the Renaissance Faire. Apparently this was a continuation of a conversational thread that she had started some four customers before me. She continued talking with no obvious acknowledgement that she had just asked me a question, all the time ringing up stuff to put into my 2 year old and stuff to catch what comes out. I smiled, paid, and, with a feeling that I was just in an intense conversation but no memory of saying any actual words, I left. As I was leaving I heard her saying to the next customer, ‘he’s always loved sword fighting’.

          Crazy Betty is an example of neurotic, not psychotic, though she hovers at that line, hanging ten like a world class surfer. She has found a job where her particular form of eccentricity is actually a boon. No one complains about Crazy Betty because she is nice and fun, albeit a bit dizzying. Here she gets to talk constantly, never letting the fear filled silence set upon her, and she gets kudos for her enthusiasm.

          I’m a big believer in embracing our craziness, of walking right up it, putting an arm around its shoulder and giving it a big hug. The little everyday crazies are the windows into the more important things of our psyche. When I confess my belief in omens, what I am actually saying is that I trust in the divine to guide me. Crazy Betty’s need to talk is her way of keeping in contact with the real, non-imaginary, people of the world. It is a small acknowledgement of her need to connect with humanity. That little nuance is the difference between neurotic and psychotic. Like the old saying: Neurotics build castles in the sky. Psychotics live in them.

          Lee says: One day, Crazy Betty said around me (she rarely talks to you) ‘You know he is the best Dad I have ever seen.’ I noticed she was directing her randomness to the other checker who also seemed caught in the headlights. I smiled and made sure Ricky was on one side and Bobby on the other. ‘Hey’, she said waving at me, ‘their father is the best Dad I said.’

          Wow! This is where I refined my diagnosis of Crazy Betty. She actually did have some semblance of understanding with reality. She knew my husband and that he often frequented the store. She made an opinion about him based on his care of his kids. She could step out of her ramblings long enough to judge Paul’s parenting. Her verbal diarrhea was really nothing more than the lonely ramblings of someone with anxiety issues. And, she was right about him too!

          Crazy Betty had marketed her crazy for the perfect career as a cashier at a large pharmacy chain. Most people walk in there feeling sick ready to pick up a prescription and Crazy Betty pulls you out of your ‘I’m Sick’ pity party and you get a glimpse at the machinations of an addled mind and think as you leave ‘Wow, at least I’m not that sick!’

Life's Everyday Crazy

Monday, Heavy Monday

Jan 252010

Never make eye contact with Corky.

          When Monday arrives with a vengeance, we like to brace ourselves with coffee and sarcasm. Truth be told, we are a quirky pair with loads of odd habits and beliefs. Happy omens and bad luck totems are just a couple of things that help us grade our days. This week, we have decided to dedicate to what we call ‘Everyday crazy’. We are not referring to certifiable loonyness but the stuff we do to make life a little easier. We would like to note that we don’t necessarily condone the everyday crazy. We are just willing to overlook yours if you overlook ours.

          Lee says: A few years back we were in a group retreat. We created some great relationships with fellow participants. There was one in particular who became a great friend to both me and Paul. Like most of us, she had some eccentricities and issues that were a little bizarre. One day, she decided to confide in me some of her wacky habits. She asked me if she was a psycho. This is when I came up with my jewel: ‘Neurotic, not psychotic’. So what’s the difference?

          Neurosis, which is a term we no longer use in the Psychology field, encompasses behaviors and beliefs that involve anxiety, depression, insecurities and irrational fears. They do not include delusions or psychoses of any kind (losing touch with reality). So why make the distinction? What’s the big deal? They both seem fucked up so why separate them?

          Well, my perfectly mentally stable friend, the difference is important because it separates crazy from everyday crazy. Such as, do you consider someone who is superstitious crazy? No. We usually see superstitious people walk around ladders or avoid Friday the 13^th but we don’t see them attacking mailboxes because the leprechauns told them to. The difference is as subtle as a baseball bat.

          My everyday crazies are things like making sure the closet door is closed while I’m asleep so the ghosts don’t come out. Yes, I realize that that is completely irrational and that closet doors do not contain an anti ectoplasmic defense system. That is reserved for my blankets. I also have a thing about showering (I have mentioned this before). I like being clean. I don’t wash my hands raw everyday but I do wash them regularly and shower a minimum of twice a day. This habit is linked to a belief that stinky people are bad. Don’t look for understanding in these people. They are completely irrational.

          Paul and I have this thing that the night before any big event like a book signing or a meeting, we have to have sex. We believe that this brings us luck. Sure, there could be worse things we do but this one is just as crazy as my ghost repelling closet door. What separates this sex from just your average two horny married people tempting back strain is our belief that the energy we emit can change our fate. Irrational yet fun!

          These little habits and beliefs are perfect fodder for therapy. These things are based on some patterns and issues that occurred in our childhood and were probably passed down by our parents. They aren’t bad for us unless they take over our lives. Turning door knobs to avoid cataclysms and not going outside because the air is infected by Glenn Beckians are not sane behaviors. Except for the air infection one and for that I wear a mask.

          Paul says: I’m an omen kinda guy. If the music on the radio gives me three really good songs in a row then it will be a good day. The song ‘I can see clearly now’ spontaneously coming up on the ‘70’s station is a direct message from God that can be summed up by picturing the big man smiling, winking and giving me a thumbs up. If the universe tells you three times not to do something then change your plans. I’m not talking little things getting in the way like your son puked on your shoes. I’m talking big stuff like a flat tire, a presidential caravan or a meteor strike that prevents you from going to the store. If these things happen then you damn well can be certain that that store is going to blow up or, at a minimum, your coupons will be expired.