Ask The Readers: Marriage Quirks
Photo courtesy joesepi
I’ll admit it, I have a few quirks in my marriage. These quirks are not things that get under my wife’s skin or are a cause of arguments. Instead, they are simply little things that drive me crazy and every so often, my wife will poke fun at me because of these quirks.
What’s one of my quirks you ask?
You know the double light switches that are often found in hallways and kitchens? I don’t like it when the switches are in opposite positions. I understand that when the lights are on, one of the switches will have to be up while the other is down. But when all lights are off, I want the switches both up or both down.
My lovely wife will sometimes walk down the hall and change them to see how long it takes me to notice. Of course, as soon as I do a big smile comes across her face.
Enough about my quirk, this week’s question: What are your marriage quirks?
Again, these are not the little things that are the cause of tension and fighting, rather they are the things you both can laugh at. Care to share your quirks? Put them in the comments below.
Corey is the editor of Simple Marriage as well as a licensed marriage & family therapist. While he has a Ph.D. in Family Therapy, he only occasionally likes to be called doctor. If you enjoyed this post, please subscribe so you don't miss any future posts.11 Responses to “Ask The Readers: Marriage Quirks”
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One of my quirks is that I run around after my wife turning out lights as she leaves the room. The one that she has is that I, for the life of me can not figure out how to put the “tupperware” away. I toss those bad boys in the cupboard and shut the door as fast as I can. Apparently there is some sort of organization in there but I don’t understand it.
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Mine is the washcloths in the sink. There is a very particular way to wring them out, and a specific way of placing them so they can be used again. At least, in my mind there is.
His is listening to me tell the same stories or making the same observations over and over. We’ve made a game of it, and I often challenge him to guess what story I’m about to tell. Makes for a good friendly wager.
More like yours, ours provides immediate laughs. My husband always gets into bed before I do (he’s an early bird). When he does so, he turns off all the lights save the one in the bathroom that I’m using. When I head to bed, I often flip on every light switch I see so that he’ll get up and turn out all the lights AFTER I’m in bed (no stumbling around in the dark for me!). Every time I do that, we end up laughing ourselves to sleep. AFter 19 years of marriage, I’d say that is a good thing!
10 years ago I began to tease my wife by making sure that the Starbucks logo lined up with the drinking hole and the logo on the cardboard cup holder. By now I’m nearly OCD about it … and she mocks me shamelessly. Her quirks include rarely putting a new roll of toilet paper into the holder – she just sets it on top – I don’t complain too loudly, though, because she also has the quirk of not demanding that put the toilet seat in one position or another.
“You know the double light switches that are often found in hallways and kitchens? I don’t like it when the switches are in opposite positions.”
Hahahahaha! Corey, that’s not a quirk, it’s an OCD tendency!
I hate having stuff on the counters. Dirt doesn’t bother me as much as clutter does. I know, it’s weird. Not as weird as flipping light switches though!
Please tell me I’m not the only one who gets frustrated when the toilet paper is hung the wrong way. Over is right! Under is wrong!
My hub is constanly rearranging things to what he thinks makes sense. It wouldn’t be that big a deal if he was reorganizing his garage stuff but he is on a mission to find the perfect arrangement of the odds and ends of my kitchen. I end up calling him often to ask where the newest place for some item is now located.
Being fair and telling on myself I change topics in the middle of our conversation. My mind races and I somehow think he has followed the race. We’ll be talking and then “poof” I’ve turned a corner. and he’ll laugh and say, “Oh we’ve changed subects!” It’s gotten to be a game to see what we’re talking about now!
I never knew I had such quirky readers! And by the way Hayden, the light switches thing is not OCD. It’s a quirk. And remember, I’m a professional so I can diagnose myself.
At least I think I can.
Here’s a tip for all you lightswitch freaks (I am one, too.) If you dismantle the light switch that is “wrong” and flip it over, the switch will always need to be up when turned on, and down when turned off. We have many of those double switches in our house, and I have flipped all of the “wrong” ones. Quirk-be-gone!
The lightswitch thing has always irked me, but I’ve just kind of gotten used to it.
Thank you, Gregg, for that bit of info. I’m going to flip the lightswitches over when I get home tonight!
My soon-to-be-wife never closes kitchen cabinets. After she’s done making her lunch before leaving for work, there are atleast 3 open cabinets that she just does not notice. I quietly close them after she’s exited. I find it endearing.
My quirk is that I believe that no one can clean the kitchen better than I. No matter who cleans it, I inspect it afterwards and clean again (usually). I don’t know what it is about my cleaning technique, but she doesn’t even bother anymore. Ha.