I’d rather fancy being an eccentric – one of those people that others might shake their heads about, but go away smiling nevertheless because their little idiosyncrasies are so endearing. People like my Aunt Edna, who never went anywhere unless she could take her goat Wilbur with her. People like my cousin in law Jerry who always brings a stack of scientific journals with him when he comes to visit and promptly installs himself in a corner to read them. Or people like my Uncle Bob, who spent worlds of time sending joke mails to his friends and relatives – my mother was the recipient of regular mailings from the National Enuresis Center – and you’ll have to look it up if you don’t know what it means.
Actually, that reminds me that I do have an eccentricity or two of my own (no, not enuresis!) I have this thing about words – if someone uses a word and I don’t know the meaning, I become
extremely restless and irritable until I can look it up. It’s very annoying to me to think of words being in existence and I don’t know what they mean.
I suppose you could call my habit of leaving an inch or so of liquid in the bottom of my coffee cup an eccentricity. My husband calls it annoying, especially when he picks the cup up expecting it to be empty and finds the dregs of my cold coffee still puddled in the bottom. But he really doesn’t have that problem anymore, because after 35 years of drinking coffee with me, he’s finally figured out I’m always going to do that.
And maybe it’s eccentric of me, but I cannot go to sleep at night unless I have a book in bed with me. Usually I’ll read myself to sleep, but last summer we had a power outage, and I was in a panic because I couldn’t find my book at bedtime.
“What do you need the book for?” Jim asked, puzzled. “There’s no light to read by.”
“I know,” I answered. “I just need to hold it until I go to sleep.”
Not very interesting eccentricities are they? Perhaps when I’m (really) old I’ll develop a fascinating set of odd behaviors that will be the envy of all my duller friends. Until then, I’ll just have to get by on my few meager quirks, and hope they’re at least slightly endearing to someone.
You can read about other ( hopefully more exciting) eccentricities right here and you can read my other Sunday Scribblings post right here
Becca's Byline 
Oh, I am the SAME way about books…and what’s funny is watching my Madam becoming the same way! She wants to take her little books everywhere with her, because Mommy does, after all. 😉
Your relatives sound fascinating. And funny!
As always, your voice is warm, wise, and relate-able. I always sink into your words with a sigh of pleasure.
Becca,
Quirky is a good thing, it gives us our individuality. Makes it easier to tell uncle Jed from cousin Jib. 😉
rel
Whenever I feel the urge to get a midnight snack, I stumble across my dark house, clutching a book in hand. I don’t know why, it’s just been a habit since I was little.
I feel like [warning: dorkiness ahead!] books are somehow my shield & friends against the evil goblins watching me in the night. & djinns. Don’t forget the djinns!
Nice to meet you via Sunday Scribblings, btw. I’d like to invite your Aunt Edna + goat over for tea someday!!
Oh, I love my books as well- as you could probably tell from my offering for SS and I always have at least two or three by the bed. I have one on me or with me at all times! And it is very difficult during a hurricane not to have the security of my books to take me far away from what’s going on outside! I don’t think you’re eccentric at all, Becca!
I am exactly the same way about books. I think then it is good to be eccentric!!
Me again… I also wanted to tell you that your blog is a treasure trove of writing resources, book ideas, and sites to visit. I am adding you to my blogroll so I can check in more often.
I’m the same way about words–gotta know what they mean. The books…not so much 😉
Quirky makes life interesting, as does eccentricity (i.e. the relatives you mention). Lovely post. xo
I also leave coffee in the bottom of the mug. My wife always forgets and usually winds up spilling the cofee all over her because she simply cannot fathom anyone failing to finish their coffee.
Odd. I’m the complete opposite on both counts. – I love to read, but will only read in bed if I’m confined there by illness, and as to coffee – unless I get to drain the cup completely, I feel like I didn’t get my cup of coffee at all. Should someone accidentally take away my cup with a quarter-inch left in it, I’ll be heard to wail “Who took my cup of coffee?” – Wierd!
I like your eccentricities. They’re very practical– not like travelling with a goat– but doable. Very nice.
I can’t imagine living without a dictionary – I even keep one at work in case I come across a new word during my day.
Your coffee quirk made me laugh. It sounds familiar…
I think I’d really like aunt Edna. Being “norrmal” takes too much effort. 🙂