We all have our own oddities

“It’s a puzzlement.” And I’m not going into a song-and-dance about “The King and I” where these words originated, but, just the same, some things in life are a ‘puzzlement’.

See, it’s like this. Right now, wherever you are, stop what you’re doing and for just a moment, fold your arms. That’s right, no big deal, just fold your arms.

Okay, now look at your arms. One of them is on top, with its hand folded nicely under the other arm. Naturally. But, whichever way you do fold your arms, now try to do it the other way. With the other arm on top and with its hand tucked under.

Ho, ho,ho! Now, that’s a different story, is it not? And there’s the puzzlement. For it just won’t work. Oh, I suppose you can do it with much thought and effort, but it doesn’t feel ‘right.’ It’s awkward. Your arms get tangled up and it’s a mess.

After you untangled your arms, and have given up on that puzzlement, follow along with me and fold your hands. Yeah, the same way you did as a school child when the teacher told you to put your hands on the desk and fold them. Done it a million times, haven’t you?

One thumb fits comfortable ‘on top’ with the other one tucked ‘neath it. Of course. But, and you know what I’m going to say; now unfold them, and re-fold them again with the ‘other’ thumb on top. Egad, egad, egad. All thumbs, aren’t you?

I’ve asked everyone I know (and some I really don’t) to do these two simple exercises and to a man they’ve all looked at me with surprise when asked to do them the ‘other’ way. Acquaintances are beginning to avoid me and those who know me well have not been above telling me to quit coming up with such foolishness. To quit because it drives them crazy and they can’t figure out why.

Certain friends greet me with words like “Now look, Ethel, I’ve been your guinea pig for lots of odd experiments, but this one’s the limit. Go work on someone else.” So all right, I go to you.

At first I thought the arm/hand folding bit had to do with being right or left-handed, but it doesn’t. I’ve found one right-hander does it one way and the very next right-hander does it the other and so on. All I know is that we’re queer creatures of habit or instinct, and who’s to know which is which. Or why.

We all have our own oddities. I’m right handed, see, but I deal a deck of cards, set the silverware on the table and hand out papers (or such) with my left hand. I’ve tried to deal cards and distribute sheets of papers with my right hand and it just doesn’t work. It’s not only awkward, but I make a mess of the entire thing.

It’s said that men always dress by always putting the same leg into their trousers first, but as I’m, no expert ‘cause I’ve never seen many men getting dressed. But, for myself, I find I always began washing my face, brushing my teeth and combing my hair on the same way every time. I hold my cup of tea or drink in the same hand, too, and the other seems somehow ‘wrong.’

I put my right leg of hosiery on first, but dang it, when my panty hose are in place, I swear I then put on my left shoe first. My friend LaRee cut her lawn one way, leaving a pattern she knew by heart, and her husband one day cut it,  using his own pattern, and she,  believe me or not,  waited until he was gone, and then simply HAD to  DO THE ENTIRE LAWN OVER,  so the  pattern was ‘right’..

Now, these bits of trivia are not earth-shaking or even important, but once you start observing this type of thing it’s hard to stop. Just try folding your arms ‘the other way’ and you’ll see what I mean. And of course, your way is correct, and the other guy that’s out of sync.  Yeah, “It’s a puzzlement.”