Barbara J. Hamby

O.C.D.

I heard about Obsessive Compulsive Disorder when I worked in a psychology clinic. I recognized some of the symptoms in my own behavior. I’ve been a compulsive reader since I first learned to form letters into words at about age five. If I don’t have a morning newspaper or some other reading material, I read the cereal boxes at breakfast.

As a child, I read every billboard, road sign, Burma-Shave sign, etc. that I saw out the car window on family trips. Out loud. I must have been very obnoxious.

At my advanced age, I’m finally learning that every email that finds its way into my inbox is not required reading. Obvious SPAM can be trashed immediately and the ones that get through the filter need to be screened before I waste time reading them. The lettering on the Delete key on my keyboard should be fading, but it still looks pretty good.

This week I’ve been sorting through about 25 years of family letters that my sisters saved for me. Naturally, I can’t just file them chronologically and/or by writer, but I have to read each one. The good news is I get a lot of chuckles, a few belly laughs and a walk down memory lane. The bad news is some tear jerkers lurk among them.

After two day of headaches and exhaustion, I decided to slow down and enjoy the process. I’ll probably live longer without the pressure, so there isn’t that great a rush.