I’ve always been surrounded by people with quirks. Some are endearing, and some are…. mildly concerning. But all of them make life much more interesting and entertaining!
There’s my buddy – Steve the Sniffer. He can’t buy anything without smelling it first. Candles? Of course. That makes sense. He’s also been known to spend hours testing different colognes at the ULTA store. But what’s the deal with sniffing new shoes before trying them on? Or baseball caps? I’ve even caught him sniffing a new pair of jumper cables at AutoZone when he thought no one was looking. Fun guy, great guy! But man, that’s weird!
Then there’s Carl the Counter. He can’t walk past anything in a straight line without counting it – fence posts, ceiling tiles, you name it. One day we were riding together and drove past a farm. I tried to distract him with a question but he wouldn’t say anything until he counted the last cow standing in the field.
Then there’s Don the Napkin Folder. We went out for pizza once and while everyone else was laughing and eating, Don was tediously folding his napkin into some sort of origami animal. He even asked the waitress for more napkins. By the end of the meal, there was like a miniature zoo of white animals everywhere. I thought it was weird, the waitress thought it was cute.
But… I really shouldn’t talk. I’ve got my quirks too. For example: I don’t like complete silence with no background noise. I can drive the car without the radio on; at least the engine is humming and there’s road noise. But to sit in a room with complete silence? That’s very challenging for me. And I love socks. I’m a sock-wearer. Perhaps it goes back to my childhood when my toes suffered frostbite. But I always have a pair of socks on – even in bed. Especially in bed. The only time I don’t wear socks is when I’m in the shower. And, although I’m ashamed to admit it, there have been times when I’ve been bored at church and happen to notice the huge light fixtures dangling down from the ceiling above. And I start thinking, “If one of those things broke loose and fell…” and then I look at the people sitting in the area directly underneath them. And then I ask myself: Why are you looking at the light fixtures when you should be paying attention to the preacher! What’s wrong with you! Wait, should I at least pray for them?”
And although it’s not really a quirk per se, while ninety percent of the world is right-handed – I’m a lefty. Still, I like to think there’s a reason God made me a southpaw. There’s something special about being in the minority – it’s a reminder that God doesn’t mass-produce people. We’re all made a little differently, on purpose.
Psalm 139:14 says, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”
And maybe that’s what some of these quirks are – little fingerprints of God’s creativity. Even identical twins have unique fingerprints. There’s never been anyone with the same combination of traits, ticks, and tendencies that you and I have. Not one!
So yeah, go ahead and sniff the shoes, count the fence posts, fold your napkins into miniature animals, or wear your socks.
You’re not weird. You were custom-made. God broke the mold the moment He made you. 🙂
Former Blackout Artist 