Friday Light: Our ‘Not Normal’ Creative Bents

 

Creatives are idiosyncratic. Allow me to peel back the orange peel of my “I’m normal” facade. . . (for other quirks and oddities see part 1 or part 2)

+Saying dumb things in meetings. Sometimes people try and act all “I’m important” and “I know stuff” and “I have the most amazing perspective.” Sometimes I act that way. Sometimes meetings are great. But sometimes they don’t accomplish much. In a road-to-nowhere meeting this week, I found myself contributing this: “man, I need a cigarette and I don’t even smoke.” Laughter? Yes. Productive? Naaaahsooomuch.

+Midday Treats. I’ve written about my problem with the McDouble, but I have another problem: hot cocoa. I honestly can’t remember the last time I’ve had HOT hot cocoa. Yes, I eat it dry when I need something sweet. As in powder. As in crunchy, dry mini-marshmallows. Who does this? Really? Anyone else? It’s not really all that weird. Think of those Lik-M-Aid things. Same thing. Same thing?

+Eyebrows Matter. Somewhere along the journey from kiddo to adult eyebrows became somewhat important to me. They should be balanced yet not too carefully tended as if to say ‘these eyebrows are perfect.” I can’t believe I just typed that. Anywho, it’s really the first thing I notice about people. Andy Roony’s are terrible. . . were terrible.

+Human GPS Time Estimator. I love to make predictions. Often I challenge my wife. “I’m betting we get there at 4:37. Whaddyou say?” She wagers 4:45. We took the rules from the showcase showdown rules on The Price is Right: whomever is closest to the actual time, without going over, wins. If you win, there’s no real prize. We might have to work something out to change that.

+Holding Breath. Similar to the GPS time thing, I’ll often hold my breath for a mile while driving. This only works when the speed limit is 65 mph or above. I’ll often have to speed up nearing the end of the mile. It’s such torture. No idea why I do it.

Tell me I’m not alone… please. Pretty please. Time to divulge some of your oddities. Leave a comment about so we can all feel more ‘normal.’

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Author: Andrew Zahn

I'm a son, husband, dad, business owner, actor and good sleeper/eater. On this blog, I pave a highway for creative growth by providing food, water, and shelter for those wishing to live, work, and play with creative zest.

12 thoughts on “Friday Light: Our ‘Not Normal’ Creative Bents”

  1. I don’t eat powdered hot chocolate. That just sounds gross. However, as an occasional treat, I do make myself a peanut butter, cheese and mayonaise sandwich. Everyone around me thinks it sounds disgusting and won’t eat it, but don’t knock it ’til you try it. The only thing that makes it even better is adding some bacon to it. Pretty much a heart attach on bread.

    We also count motorcycles when we go on trips and, like you, make wagers at the beginning on who can come up with a figure closest to the total without going bust. You’re right there’s no real prize for the winner.

  2. I say stupid things in meetings for a laugh too. Especially when they are my meetings.

    another one i do: obscure inside references in my IM status, forcing people to IM me and ask what the heck I mean.

    ….but thanks for the tip on the hot chocolate powder…gotta try that!

    1. Obscure IM status-ese! Nice! I’ll give that a go. Be forewarned about the cold hot chocolate thing–that’s a dusty mixture… make sure you breathe OUT, not in, as you get ready to try it. Just sayin’

  3. Yeah, the thing about comments during meetings, I think you come by that quite honestly…several of us in the family do that (we probably need to be analyzed, but I don’t want to know!

    My somewhat weird thing is to watch the odometer, especially as the car begins to rack up the miles. I watch it to turn synchronized miles – like 66266, then 66366, then 66466. O.K. you get the idea.

  4. Your not alone, But i don’t remember these being part of the before leaving the nest traing.
    Love, dad

  5. I have a 60 mile commute to work (each way), and have an irrational fear that if I make every green light on the entire trip, that something bad will happen before I arrive to work ( like a car accident).

    In actuality, the last light I hit is a block from my job, so the odds are heavily in my favor that nothing will happen to me. Also, to make every light on an hour and 15 minute drive would be a chance I’m willing to take. I’ll let you know if it ever happens.

  6. I don’t know that I’ve ever just eaten a pack of hot chocolate, but I definitely used to eat the packets of flavoring from Ramen Noodles whenever I needed a salt fix- I’d eat boullion cubes, too. I’ve always been a salt fiend. I also like to try to get my odometer to numerically interesting numbers/palindromes, like 1122211, 1342431, 123456, etc. I have the eyebrow thing, too! When I was younger, I didn’t care at all, and people used to tell me I looked like Rachel Weisz. I thought that was great until I got to college and my friends explained that my caterpillars were totally unacceptable, and would need to be plucked for the rest of my natural life. I used to go with perfectly shaped, thin & sleek, but that made my face look both nervous & surprised all the time. I’ve settled into a nice half-wild, half-contained, “I can’t believe it’s not natural” shape, and it’s a hard line to tread, I know. You’re not alone. 😛

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