Most of us like to consider ourselves "laid-back."
I'm a go-with-the-flow type myself.
Do you like to walk around in a kimono and a spare rabbit in your purse?
Cool.
Are you training to be a professional hand-stander and want to practice in my front yard?
Have at it.
You want us to stay in a dirty hotel and go without bathing for 3 days in order to travel cheaper?
I can deal.
But the one thing
that has always pushed me into a bizarre rage
is hearing people eat.
... chomping, chewing, slurping, crunching ...
Ugh.
It makes me want to loose my mind.
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My sister and I have been in countless squabbles (as adults)
that typically transpire similarly to this:
Lauren & Meredith are driving along in car
Lauren sits quietly.
Lauren covers ears and yells: STOP CHOMPING YOUR ICE!
Meredith: Get over it!
Lauren: I CAN'T HANDLE IT. I'M GOING CRAZY!
So this morning, when my friend Grace posted this article
from the New York Times,
I felt some relief.
It describes a newly named condition,
Misophonia, that covers this reaction.
Now, I'm not as severe as some of the cases-
but man, I get what they are saying
Maybe when Tyler eats peanut M&M's ,
I'll still accuse him of having a secretly implanted amp
in his jaw for the sole purpose of annoying me...
Maybe I'll still dodge the kitchen
when my dad eats a bowl of Grape Nuts...
And maybe raising children who don't smack
won't move down on my list of life goals...
but at least I know I'm not completely crazy.
What do you think?
Crazy or Completely Right?
Completely right, we all need to be fitted with silencers at birth.
ReplyDeleteI've got a minor case of this myself. My Mom always went nuts when my Dad would chew his ice! Perhaps the recipe for a perfect marriage is to have Tyler eat in another room.. hee hee! xo
ReplyDeleteI think you are completely right. I get more annoyed when people open there mouth while eating...which seems like something a lof people (with out manners hah) do but I just want to yell, who raised you!!
ReplyDeletexo emily
hahaha I get you, however I do chew/eat loudly so might have drove you crazy?! :)
ReplyDeleteha! i have been known to slurp a little when i drink water-- idk why! but it drives my fiance crazy... he gets me back by biting his nails. i guess we all have our things :) xoxo jillian:: celebrate cornflake dreams' first birthday with a month of giveaways!
ReplyDeleteI totally and 100% understand- my husband slurps a bit when he drink hot tea and it literally makes my blood boil.
ReplyDeleteLauren!!! You have changed my life by bringing this article to my attention. I couldn't believe they were describing the very thing that has been bugging me for years that no one else understands! I immediately had Casey read it. I feel validated...but still a little bit crazy. :)
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you on this one. I HATE listening to people eat. I constantly have to tell my husband to move a little further away from me when he eats. I have gotten better over the last couple of years and now it usually only bothers me when I am not eating as well.
ReplyDeleteBut the ice chewing... DRIVES ME UP A WALL!
I am totally with you.
You know, the only person who I can't stand listening to eat is my husband. Anyone else and I'm like "eh" but with him I'm like "really?" Such an interesting development!
ReplyDeletepeople eating doesn't really bother me. unless i'm in "one of those moods", but sometimes matt's jaw pops while he eat and that drives me crazy. smaller noises drive me insane. like when i can hear him picking at his cuticles on the couch. it sounds like he's doing it right next to my ear. but not i'm off to read about my new disorder. :)
ReplyDeleteThe slurping! That gets to me. The chewing doesn't bug me unless something gets me to really focus on it, and then that's all I hear.
ReplyDeleteyes!!! i know the feeling. more often than not, a perfectly good meal is ruined for me because of the chewing, smacking and chomping of the person i'm eating with. glad to know i'm not alone. but, honestly, i think the people who eat so impolitely have the disorder, not me. :)
ReplyDeleteAGREE. My husband bites down so hard on the fork and you can actually hear it and it DRIVES ME NUTS. Just thinking of it annoys me.
ReplyDeleteWe have the same pet peeve. For some reason, I can't stand when people chew anything loud!
ReplyDeleteMakes me want to run and hide!
It's the small sounds fo rme as well...pen clicking, popping noises with the mouth, sucking ones teeth...is it us or them? I tend to think it's them! You are definitely not alone...
ReplyDeletexo J~
Completely right in my opinion. I have a friend that makes a weird noise when she chews and I have to think about something else or I'll go nuts.
ReplyDeletehaahaha! lauren this made me laugh out loud because i was JUST telling someone about this yesterday. i have to put in headphones at work around lunchtime because listening to people chomp on their chips makes me feel like im going to have a panic attack.
ReplyDeletePosting that article did not bring me the vindication I had hoped. My darling husband simply asked, "Do you feel better now that there's a name for your insanity?" And several of the people who know about my *ehem* "little problem" just told me that they still believe it's all in my head. Yes, the anger I feel toward your obnoxious chewing is certainly echoing within my head, but I didn't put it there!! xoxo
ReplyDelete