Obsessions, compulsions, manias, urges, impulses, yearnings, desires, hankerings – we call them by a lot of names. Some have positive connotations and some are negative. Some are sophisticated words to go in technical manuals, and some might be spit out by a straw-chewing guy in overalls, sitting atop a wood rail fence. Most, if not all of us, have them. A Frank Gilbreth quote from Cheaper by the Dozen gives the idea that his life’s work of time-saving methods was for the purpose of giving us more time to do whatever it is that makes us happy. He was asked, “What do you want to save time for?” He answered, “For work, if you love that best, for education, for beauty, for art, for pleasure. . . For mumblety-peg, if that's where your heart lies.”
A quote I read this week about obsessions took me back to a discussion long ago with a brother-in-law that began with his question, “Why do you want to write?” Now, this brother-in-law was an engineer with enough degrees behind him that I knew that he knew how to write. I also knew that he was much happier taking apart a defective icemaker than being stuck at a desk putting words into a computer. There was no way I could explain my compulsion to him so I answered his question with a question, “Why do you like to travel?” He had seen every state and a good part of the world. He grinned, and we let the discussion drop. Obsessions really can’t be explained, but some come in handy – including his icemaker repair.
I thought about other obsessions that may or may not be of any benefit. My favorite principal, Mrs. Morgan, took up golf and filled her out-of-school life with it. I agreed with the quote attributed to Mark Twain (though he did not actually say it), “Golf is a good walk spoiled.”
I thought about my mother who could not pass a flower bed when she came in after a long day without pulling a few weeds or clipping off a dead flower.
Then there was our daughter who began clearing tables after meals at two-years-old. She usually finished eating first and those with plates needed to hang onto them since she wanted them for the dishwasher. She has maintained this obsession into adulthood, although she will now let you finish eating before she begins to grab the dirty plates. It makes her one of the guests you want to invite to dinner. (Her love of the vacuum waned, and her obsession does not carry over to dusting.)
By now you may be wondering about the quote. John Irving said, “You don’t get to choose your obsessions, your obsessions choose you.” That’s all I’m going to say about this because there’s a jigsaw puzzle calling my name.