Am I Alone?
 

As I hurl headlong toward completion of my 48th year of living things keep changing. There are the normal set of parameters that we all know about but I have been experiencing a change over the last few years that I didn't know about and it makes me wonder if I'm just crazy or if this happens to, at least some, others.

As I age I tend to get more and more quirky about food. If I even THINK that some food might have been in the icebox too long then I just can't eat it.

If someone puts an herb in it that I'm not used to I might take it as being "off" and there's nothing you can do to make me feel better about it... I can't eat it.

If a piece of shell ends up in an egg... Oh good grief... I might just lose it... It just turns my stomach.


I wasn't like this when I was younger but as I get older it just seems to get worse. And I know that some of my reactions aren't based on any common sense. My reactions are nonsensical. But it doesn't change the way I feel about it so I still can't eat these things.


Of course... If this eventually means that I eat less and lose weight... Hey... that ain't bad. But I was wondering if any of you who have already enjoyed the grand late 40's & early 50's might have experienced the same thing.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Described me and I'm young,...

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Yes. You're alone. Nobody else is changing.

:D

I just turned 44. My eating habits have dramatically changed over the last 2 or 3 years.

I used to love green peppers, onions, chips, and soda. I can't eat or drink any of those things now. They make me physically sick.

I have removed anything that inflames acid reflux. So, very few fries, reduced amounts of red meat and on and on.

I haven't even started with the phobias yet!

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I cant touch door handles or shake hands with people.

this means I have to carry paper towels to navigate the door handles, and have sanitary wipes to deal with handshakes.

if someone is cutting birthday cake and they lick icing off their fingers and then touch my cake, I can't eat it.

If I see people reach into a bag of chips, instead of shaking some out onto a paper towel for themselves, I'm done with the chips.

I can't do communal food.

fondue would never work for me.

My husband, on the other hand has no concept of sanitary food practices. If he is eating cheese doodles and his fingers get caked with cheesy particles, he let's the dog lick his fingers and then reaches back into the bag for more doodles.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Monk! :)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Wow! Just be careful and if you use hand sanitizer don't over use it or it will make the problem worse not better. Sounds like you are a germophobe!

Re: Am I Alone?
 

one of my many shortcomings.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

As we get older my brother, of the which I'm.
Your awareness levels become more sensitive.
Your patience with ignorance is shorter.
Danger levels around you become more prevalent.
Your understanding of simple and base things seem to pop up right before your eyes.
You lose interest in hobbies and gain interests in other hobbies.
You seem to notice trees and flowers planted in beautiful yards.
You don't pay attention when people are talking to you and suddenly you reply with, What! then they say, " You need to get a hearing aid."
The winters seem longer and colder.
The smile on a beautiful face takes on a whole different meaning, well, need I go on?
Yes! things do change, but the best of all, Your understanding in the things of Jesus and the mind of God become more clearer, and his wisdom and understanding seem to intervene more clearly.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

LOL... You still like popcorn huh?

Actually it is interesting to note that a consistent snack that I always like... is popcorn. The more extreme the reference to butter on the package... the better. :)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Oh good grief... no way man. My dad lets his dog drink out of his glass of tea etc.


I canNOT understand that. :)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I'll tell you this... reading through your list... it sounds like we're moving in an overall good direction. :)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Actually, I've change pretty much in the opposite direction. Used to be more particular about things. Now? Well, for an example, I parked at the airport for a 5-day business trip, one Summer, in an outdoor lot. (A Texas Summer, by the way.) Got home, found a yogurt in the trunk. Opened it. Didn't look bad. So I ate it. Yep, I'd say I'm not so particular, now-a-days. :lol

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Oh my... I got a little sick just reading that. :) I think I'll go pop a bag of popcorn to ease my stomach a little bit. :)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I've changed some in more recent years. Of course, I have taken a number of science classes. :)

I hate breathing peoples exhausted breath. But that has always been with me.....just has been moreso in recent years.

I do things now that I didn't used to.

I wash all cups and utensils before using them in our communal cupboard at work.

I use paper towels to open the bathroom doors with.

I wipe down the phone especially after one certain coworker uses it. I can smell her breath and it is very strong all the time. I struggle to talk to her.

I just do some things like this that I didn't used to do.

I'm sick a lot less too. But that may just be because I don't go to church and stress myself out. :)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Do you ever stress out that maybe you should be going to church?

Re: Am I Alone?
 

My biggest one has been heights. Or the fear of falling, not really heights. Used to not bother me, but after I had kids I developed a fear of it.

I try to make myself conquer it, though. I don't like being in bondage to things like that. I force myself to go on balconies in tall buildings, ride tall roller coasters, etc. I don't want to simply give in to the fear.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

You folks really need to study the work of Dr. Peter D'Adamo. But, hey, just keep ignoring me and just keep getting fatter and/or sicker as you grow older. As far as diets go, he has the "only truth" out there, as it is based on decades of clinical data and science, not some fad diet, one-size-fits-all diet, or celebrity-endorsed diet.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Not much. Last time I stressed out about not going, I went and had a panic attack and was emotionally exhausted for hours afterwards with a headache and achy shoulders. Not that I feel a need to explain myself.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

As a kid and teen I was as picky about food as a person could possibly get. I was like the kid from Home Alone who only ate cheese pizza and Oscar Meyer hot dogs. NOW I am becoming more like Andrew Zimmerman and willing to try quite a few different things (but am not nearly as daring as him or Bear Grills).

Re: Am I Alone?
 

http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbn...30ed742f9e9272

Or
http://timothyzhu.files.wordpress.co...wie_mandel.jpg

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I've become a bit more of a skeptic in recent years but still exercise giving the benefit of the doubt. If I find out my gut feeling was right, I'll deal with the consequences accordingly and mark it as another lesson learned...

Some things I did or watched as a kid I wouldn't allow the same for mine (such as walk to the nearest park about 10 walking minutes away or watch scary movies, to name a few)...

I have a habit of smelling my food/drink before ingesting...

Shutting off lights/AC/heat in unoccupied rooms (or the whole house) if I/we will be gone for a while, which my wife subtly expresses frustration over...

Like someone said above, using a towel to open public restroom doors...

Not getting so wrapped up in worry and fret over that which is uncontrollable, but growing more frustrated at those which can be controlled and prevented...

I'm finding out a lot at a young age thanks, in a large part, to watching and listening to my elders...

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Yes you are alone and it's dark.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

If I were that picky, I'd never get anything done/eaten.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

One thing that I am getting worse at, at least emotionally, is driving. While I have some mad driving skills worthy of Steve McQueen, I am getting more and more frustrated at other pokey inattentive drivers who always stop 2-10 car lengths behind the car in front of them at a stop light or drive like a snail in bumper to bumper traffic -even if they are in a lane with no one ahead of them for several hundred yards!

Re: Am I Alone?
 

LOL... Thanks for the encouragement. :)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Okay, now you really got my attention...

I can easily wait until the light turns green to attempt going around someone like you mentioned. But, nothing frustrates me more than to be driving behind someone talking on or even texting from their phone. I don't care what the reason is. Get off the road, especially to text, for the sake of common sense and safety. If my phone sounds off, other than for an actual call, it can wait until I'm at home, the restaurant, etc...

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I love the smell of popcorn more than I love eating it. I can't stand fish or seafood because of the smell. I loved spicy food when I was young, now not as much. I like room temperature water more than cold water. I like coffee, but don't like iced tea or Pepsi as much as I have before. I think I was addicted to Pepsi for a long time. :)

I am more patient with my grandchildren than I was with my children. And I hope more kind to everyone than I use to be.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Next time I'm driving through Mineola, I'll make sure to plug my nose. To me, after smelling burnt popcorn at the office too many times, I've literally grown to despise the sight, taste, and smell of it burnt or not.

However, things I've grown to love: sauerkraut, pineapple (not together with sauerkraut), water with lemon and a sweetner...

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I just do not get that one, and it drives me crazy!! If all of us stopped 5 car lengths back from the car in front of us, every red light would be backed up for 10 miles!! We're all sitting still, it's okay to get fairly close to the car in front of you. Really!

But my worst pet peeve about traffic is people who go 5-10 miles UNDER the speed limit on a two-lane road with few passing zones. Causing cars to line up for miles and miles behind them. Don't they OWN a rear view mirror?? Can't they SEE the cars piling up? Do they think they are the only person in the universe???? :pullhair

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I simply do not answer my phone in the car (unless on a rare occasion when I am actually expecting an important call). I just let it ring and see who called when I get to where I'm going.

Re: Am I Alone?
 

My wife is known to call, even as I'm still pulling out of the driveway. So, I better answer it, or else I'll get told, "Well, I tried calling you before you got too far down the road."

:)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Every time my wife got pregnant, I started eating something new. Started with our first. One night, we were watching TV on the couch and she was munching on a dill pickle, which I never liked before, and I, out of the blue, said, "Hey, let me try that." I loved it!

Re: Am I Alone?
 

And I would be willing to bet that that was "the best tasting pickle you ever hoid!"

Re: Am I Alone?
 

did you have a sympathy pregnancy and get fat too?

Re: Am I Alone?
 

............or start lactating?

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Yes!

Re: Am I Alone?
 

No!

Re: Am I Alone?
 

Tasted fine. I think the heat actually prevented spoiling, and killed any bad stuff that might have been growing in there. (And the good stuff, too: no "live cultures" in that tub!)

Re: Am I Alone?
 

I have eaten off the streets all over South America. generally speaking I have had a cast iron stomach and I like eating all sorts of ethnic foods.


However, recently the curveball of life plunked me in the gut and now there are some limits. (Diverticulitis)

I did notice a couple of years ago, that I couldnt eat the same thing too much... like Cherieoo's (SP) and peanut butter because it causes some indigestion.

But NO. I still want to eat the same things. Things most people would curl their noses at. i am not squemish. If I started being squemish, i would consider it a personal weakness.... (I dont see these things as weaknesses in others just myself. )