| So, I point. I'm a pointer. I know it's not polite. I remember a babysitter of mine, when I was, oh five or six?--I remember contemplating her theory while "The Rainbow Connection" played on the radio, so it had to be around the time the Muppet Movie was released. That was 1979 so yes, five or six. I digress--telling me that when you point a finger at someone, you're actually pointing three fingers back at yourself. Which I guess is true, although IMO is it's more then two fingers it's no longer really a point, but is instead a hand gesture. But the thing is, I don't, like, point and curse at people. Or call them names. I just...point at them ("No, you're not mad at him, you're just pointing"--I'm full of pop culture references today, huh?). Like I might ask, "Did you go to the store?", which is a perfectly innocent question, but while I ask it my index finger just pops out, like the little red button on a turkey. Pop! The hubs says I do it when I get excited (get your minds out of the gutter. He doesn't mean it that way.) Like when the conversation starts really moving and everyone is chattering. So I guess in that respect, one could view my pointing finger as either a discreet, pretty, silver-tipped hand being raised, or as a taloned wedge which I drive into the conversation. A defensive gesture, perhaps? Or just a habit, and like any habit, hard to break? I don't even notice I'm doing it. I have literally been pointing at someone--caught mid-point, as it were--and had the hubs tell me I'm pointing, and said, "No, I'm not," and looked down to see my own finger extended. And I didn't even realize it. Clearly I have a problem. How about you? What's your unconscious habit? How do you feel about it? (Yeah, I know it's not much of a topic. Give me a break. I'm doing sex scene crits at my own blog all week, I'm waiting to hear back from my beta readers on the second Downside book [which I finished the first major edit on Saturday night], it's late, I'm tired, I'm trying to finish plotting the third Downside book in my head so I can start writing it in the next few weeks while anxiously awaiting edits on the first one, and it was either this or I blog about how incredibly freaking annoyed I am that my child's teachers think it's appropriate to tell fart jokes in class. Because that's the kind of humor I want my pretty little girl to think is perfectly acceptable. And I know at least a couple of people are going to jump all over me for that, because I know bodily function humor is adored by some people, I'm not one of them and I don't want my children learning that such things are acceptable in mixed company. Because it makes it a lot harder for me to tell my kids those jokes are offensive and not acceptable when their teachers do it. /rant.) |
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Actually this is a great subject because these are the kinds of things we should be adding to our characters to make them come across as "real".
I've been taking notes of peoples' unconscious habits for just that reason. We had a physical therapist at work that constantly twirled her long, wavy hair. I work with a guy who is always adjusting his pants even though they aren't sagging. Me, I'm very animated when I speak. I get teased all the time about it.
Quirks are fun little morsels to add to your work.
my child's teachers think it's appropriate to tell fart jokes in class
Ha! And people think the English are classy... ;-)
Have a lovely day! :-)
Guess I shouldn't ask you to pull my finger.
Hmm... let's see... I chew my tongue. On the sides, so it's not sticking out, but it's like invisible gum and I confuse many people. I also play with my bottom lip without realizing it. Hum or sing quietly and don't even notice. And my husband calls me fidgety b/c I'm always rubbing fingers together or playing with a zipper (not that one... well, sometimes) or a seam in my coat or purse.
The worst part? I KNOW that my mom does all these things. I know I get it from her. I used to TEASE her about them when I was a kid. I really am turning into my mother!!
The one that annoys me the most is a little higher-than-normal-pitched "oops" or "oop" or "whoop" or some noise I make, like when almost running into someone in a doorway or getting off the elevator or something.
"whoop...excuse me."
so annoying.
I chew the inside of my cheek so my mouth is constantly turning sideways. I'm sure it's attractive. Oh, and I talk with my hands (even on the phone) so they're constantly gesturing and flapping and such.
And when I concentrate? It's hard to describe, but I suck in both my lips to the point that you can't see them, and bite down with my teeth. I have no idea why I do that, but it cracks my husband up. It probably makes me look like I'm eighty. He jokes and calls it my 'game face' because I tend to do it when playing video games.
Isn't that lovely? ;) So I totally get the pointing thing.
I scratch the back of my head, I don't know why. I'll have my hand resting there and before i know it my fingers are scrathcing. Makes me look as though I have nits, which I don't.
I chew on my bottom lip too. Started this when I was a kid showing horses and have never broken the habit. I don't bother to wear lipstick cause I'd just chew or smear it all off.
I also chew the inside of my cheek and say "like" and "awesome" when I get really nerveous! It's awful!
Oh, daelith, I am an obsessive lip-chewer! I do it constantly. CONSTANTLY.
The bad thing is both my girls have picked it up from me. I feel really guilty about that. :-(
I went through a phase of saying "sigh" when I sighed. I didn't notice it until someone pointed it out, which struck me as weird because it doesn't seem like the kind of thing you do subconsciously. Obviously I was wrong.