I was driving home from work this evening, and my nose started to tickle - on the inside. I was about to reach up and deal with the itch, but then I realized that I was just about to pass another car, and didn't want this complete stranger that I may never see again to assume that I was just driving along picking my nose.
This train of thought made me think of a story from the past that I decided I had to share with you. It's a quirky little bit of reminiscing, and it starts back when my old roommate was in high school and I was on the volunteer youth staff at church. We used to hang out a lot outside of church, and she moved into my place after a year of college and some family issues that resulted in her needing a place to stay.
She was thoroughly grossed out by nose-picking. I mean, pathologically. She attributed this to the fact that she lived in close contact throughout her childhood with her brother and an uncle who had no compunction about "digging for gold" in front of her, and variously flicking and wiping (or possibly eating) the boogers. She was so freaked out by nose-picking that she frankly refused to do it herself. Ever. Even when she was alone.
One day we were driving somewhere, I forget the context, but she saw someone driving down the road drilling away, and commented on the fact that so many people pick their noses while driving. I decided to tease her a bit, and suggested that maybe it has to do with the vibration from the road loosening the boogers inside the nostrils, which makes one need to pick away. I told her that when she started driving, she'd probably find herself doing it too.
Flash forward a few years, when we were roomies. She came home from work one day absolutely mortified - during an important training session in which she was leading a group discussion of some sort, projecting the image of the consummate professional woman, a simply massive flake of booger flew out of her nose and landed in front of someone.
I told her that if she'd been picking her nose all this time, that never would have happened. *evil grin*
After that incident she allowed as how she might have to try cleaning out the boogers - but only in the shower.
I guess you had to be there.
Comments