Phobias and Setting the Record Straight

OK, I keep hearing about my phobias. I’m mocked on the forums about needing a plastic bubble and people saying things to me in person like, “you are so nutty with all your phobias.”

My germ phobia doesn’t control me. I won’t let it. When you walk past someone who was just coughing up a lung, tell me you take a deep breath hoping to capture some of the expelled virus essence. If not and you hold your breath in hopes of self preservation, you are more like me. Is that wrong? I am fully aware that there are germs everywhere and it is often the one you don’t see is the one that gets you.

Yes, I hate shaking hands with people but I still do it because it is socially awkward not to. Tell me you haven’t shaken hands with someone and wondered what the hell was going on in the palm of that hand.

Funny story about that and my reputation proceeding me, I ran into a friend the other day who told me I shocked his wife. I didn’t like the sound of that so I asked for clarification. He was someone who had the party I went to recently. Before the party he warned his wife that his friend Guy would be attending, and told her not to make any effort to shake my hand because I am nutty about that sort of thing. So I show up and he introduces me to his wife and I immediately reach out and shake her hand. Now I look not only like a kook but like a hypocrite as well. I don't have a problem with that because I am often both, a kook and a hypocrite.

Though I’ll admit my mind is abnormal in many respects; I can still conduct myself as expected socially. So please don’t walk on egg shells around me. I will make accommodations for any quirks on my own, and you probably would never notice.

It was a great party, by the way. I even stayed up hours past my bet time. And yes, I got comments on that, too.