Quirks: Is Their Ignorance Our Bliss?

by Melissa Chandler

You know how sometimes people in your life do something habitually that’s so strange/cute, your first instinct would be to tell them, and express how endearing it is, but then you catch yourself because you realize if you told them, they might become self-conscious and stop doing it, or even if they didn’t stop doing it, the action would forever be tainted by the acknowledgement?

My brother, a decade my senior, never got the memo on excessive lol’ing being passé, and so after each message I get from him, there is sure to be not just a “lol,” but a hearty “LOLOL!” (even if the message wasn’t quite as funny as all that). I like it. It makes me smile, and though I’m not above making fun of my brother to his face, I think I’ll let this one remain sacred.

An ex of mine routinely included “gum” on his grocery lists.

Another used to neatly stack things (any things) that wound up in front of him.

My aunt signs her name after each text, no matter how brief.

My cat likes to rest on the arm of the couch, awkwardly dangling just his front legs over the edge. (I’m definitely not telling him it’s adorable. He’s already a suspected narcissist.)

As for myself, I apparently flail my arms and legs just slightly when I’m about to eat something delicious. Actually, maybe I don’t do this anymore, due to the fact that it was revealed to me years ago as one of my quirks.

I really liked it that someone noticed. It made me feel loved.

Uh oh, wait … maybe that discredits my theory?

I think it does? New plan: disregard the above ramblings, and just tell the people you love why you love them. Go!

Melissa Chandler is in San Francisco, writing about how weird you are.