Hi, I'm ... and I have OCD

Actually, I probably don't.  As my psychologist daughter-in-law (and fellow organization–searcher) explained, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder is an anxiety disorder.  Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (didn't even know there was a name for it) is a diagnosis as well, but a different animal altogether.  If you care, look it up in Wikipedia. In my 'tammy–as–a–verb' blog, I did talk about the over–use of the OCD label in this country and that most people probably lie on the downside of the spectrum.  That said, how does one differentiate between the two diagnoses?

–Repetitive, irrational, behavior caused by intrusive thoughts?  OCD
–Preoccupied with neatness and detail? OCPD
–Need order at any cost? OCD
–Perfectionistic, controlling, need things 'just so'? OCPD 
–Ritualistic behavior disrupts one's life?  OCD
–People think you're annoying and weird; you think you're fine, but behavior bothers significant other; order makes you happy?  Not diagnostic—just annoying and weird.

I'm always on the lookout for good material even when Skeeter doesn't figure in.  However, never has a post yielded so many funny responses as the  "tammy" as a verb .  It must have struck a familiar chord with some readers.

I had a friend tell me once about his wife flinging the accusation at him, "You think you know how to make a bed; you don't know how to make a bed".  He thought it was so endearing that she would even think he cared about making a bed.  It made him love her all the more.  Nice, but I'm not certain that's a typical response. 

I'm a compulsive towel folder—nothing fancy, no flowers or swans.  Earl is not.  A compatible housemate, he never leaves laundry on the floor and has proven to be a considerate closet sharer.  In return, I stay out of his control arena—the operating room (big surprise).  Preserving marital harmony remains a priority and we pick our battles carefully.  How a towel is folded is not one of them—the man does make a living with his hands.  He may care that I care, but he's not certain why I would care and I don't expect him to understand why I do care.  If it's important to me, I need to fold the damn towels.  Earl's unlikely to make anything but an adequate fold, hang a towel in the general bathroom area, and call it good.  

Reader Tales of Clutter

Friend:  "Be careful.  If you stand still long enough, she'll tammy you."…….. great quote !!

 Tammy: I still say 'ha, ha'

Friend:  It is so good to see a kindred soul.  On the rare occasions I have guests over (rarely the energy to do it), I encourage hostess gifts—not for people to bring to me, but rather, for me to give to others on their way out. 
Tammy: Although some people say fellow weirdo, I'll go with kindred soul.

Friend:  As a realtor, I see how much clutter affects people.  There is a Feng Shui to “things”.  Clutter impedes your energy field. Things that are broken are super bad energy.  A time management course I took 20 years ago said that if you haven’t used something in two years and it isn’t sentimental, get rid of it.  Divorced two men for those same reasons.  I just cleared out the condo of a woman who had not gotten rid of any clothing since 1982 and had purses from the 50's. Stuff everywhere.  Another client could not bear to go through her paperwork and dispose/process it, but couldn't toss it, either. 
Tammy: I have to ask. Did you divorce the men for not being good organizers, not being useful, or not engendering sentimental attachment?

Friend:  OMG, are you talking about me?   Don't you think there is some of this in everyone?  My husband is totally unorganized and he loves it.   Over the years, I have learned to move on and close my eyes.  The other day, he could not find a paper he left lying around "somewhere."  In my frustration, even after almost 58 years of marriage, I located a bright yellow folder in which he could put all his papers.

He huffed.......and, yes the folder was EMPTY.  I imagine it will remain that way.  However, he is the glass–in–the–dishwasher person.  He says, I am going to start the dishwasher.  Do you have anything to go in.  I say, no.  He says, what about those glasses over there partly filled with water.  I say, I am drinking the water.  I turn around and the glasses are gone.  So, my question, is—are all households the same?  Tell me no!  Now that I think about it, can you imagine two of the same personalities living together?  I have friends who are terribly unorganized.  I always wondered how they made it anywhere looking put together.  
Tammy: Although I wasn't talking about you specifically, it was reassuring to hear how common premature dishwashing is.  I agree in that I do think there is some need for order in most of us.

Friend:  When I was younger; I had all my spices stored alphabetically. That stopped when we adopted our two daughters and I became a busy mom. They are adults now and living on their own, but the spices never got alphabetized again!
Tammy: I will alphabetize spices; they just don't stay that way.

Friend:  I finally stopped collecting ducks–now I'm into orchids.  They frequently die, so there's natural attrition and I'm limited by window/sun space.

The closet space is a limiting factor & it's pretty organized–as is the kitchen.  The study is a whole other story, but that's aided & abetted by XXX who uses the floor space as desk space.  The garage is pretty good, but needs rearranging.  Periodically, I declutter my desktop. 
Tammy:  Come on!  I learned how to fold towels from you forty years ago.

The lesson:  Just goes to show, many of us can be a little annoying and weird, given the right setting.