Quirks are peculiar aspects of a person’s character or behavior. And believe me, I have my fair share.

Do you know the first thing I do when I return from a trip? Arrange all the plates, dishes, containers and stuff in my kitchen, back to the same way it was when I left. Yes, even before unpacking. A quirk worthy of its name, what?

I get really upset if things are moved around without my knowledge. Spoons come to mind, but let’s just say anything that I have arranged a particular way HAS to remain that way or else I get upset. Really, really upset. On normal days, I just mumble under my breath and put the things back in their original places, on rare days I am ready to throw a fit. Honestly, I have asked myself why it matters so much and haven’t got a satisfactory answer. What I do know is that though not a perfectionist, I intensely dislike anyone changing the way I have arranged things. To be fair. I accord the same respect to others that I demand from them.

Wherever I may be, if the table cloth or a picture frame is askew, or the carpet is not aligned with the wall, I fidget uncomfortably in my seat. Even as I am partaking in the conversation, half my mind will be occupied in straightening it. I have mentioned in one of my earlier posts about how it was all I could do to stop myself from jumping up and straightening the carpet in a house I was visiting for the very first time along with a friend.

But… what you might find utterly ridiculous is what I am going to reveal next: I can’t and won’t eat twin bananas. Don’t ask me why. People have done that before you and haven’t got a satisfactory answer from me. I don’t know what about them gives me the heebie-jeebies. I simply cannot bring myself to eat them. Not even telling myself to look at it all in a sensible, objective way. The L&M is very obliging. Though he laughs at my quirk, indulgently mind you, he always takes the (to me) offending twin bananas for himself and gives me the single ones.

So what are some of your quirks?

© Shail Mohan 2020