What goes through your mind?

A few months ago I became inexplicably obsessed with my pillows, wandering when was the last time they were cleaned. First I placed them in the sun for an entire day but my mind wasn’t at rest. So I threw them in the washing machine with a respectable amount of bleach to combat the unseen gunk, germs and creepy crawlies I imagined lived within the pillows. When I shared my concern with a friend she quickly pointed out that I, and everyone else, slept with thousands of dust mites and for the rest of the day I was in a neurotic frenzy trying to figure out how to rid my bed of dust mites. By bed time it was all forgotten and I had a good night’s rest.

I often have those moments where thoughts of germs and unknown and uncontrollable cleanliness issues plague my mind:

1. There was the period when I wouldn’t go into a pool or the water at the beach because I kept thinking everyone in it was comfortably relieving their bladders as the need arose.
2. I went through the period of swabbing restaurant utensils with alcohol swabs because I was thinking thousands of people have inserted these same utensils in their mouths. Some with cavities, gingivitis, canker sores etc. I conveniently did not factor in the washing of the utensils, hopefully, in hot soapy water.
3. It didn’t matter if it was a room at Motel 6 or at the Bellagio, during a period of heavy work related travel I began travelling with my own sheet sets, towels and pillows.
4. Everyone takes precautions in public restrooms. It was again while travelling for work that I developed a system I was certain was absolutely germ proof. Once I entered the public restroom I would grab a paper towel (or use my own handy wipes) to protect my hands as I opened, entered and closed the bathroom stall. I would complete my business without touching the walls or toilet seats, extricate the toilet paper from the dispenser without touching the dispenser AND remove the first two squares that may have been touched by previous user. If it wasn’t an auto-flush (thank GOD for innovation) I would use my shoe covered foot to hit the flush button/handle. I would then use more toilet paper or handy wipes to exit the stall and turn on the faucet if it wasn’t an auto faucet. I would use my elbow to turn on the hand dryer or to dispense paper towel to dry my hands. Hopefully I was wearing long sleeves because if I wasn’t I would wash my elbows afterwards.

Lucky for me all these were just periods of obsessive neurotic behavior. Occasionally something new pops up or an old one raises its head but they are short lived. I know if you think about it, I am not alone, I hope.