Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Germaphobe? Maybe.

Germs.  I don't like them.  I don't think I'm obsessed with defeating them, though.  But then again, in some ways, maybe I am.

When flying, I always wear pants because I do not want the skin of my legs to spend much time in contact with the seats.  How do I know who sat there before me?  I cannot get into bed at night before taking a shower.  I do not want to sleep with the germs I've collected throughout the day.  I really really hope that Sadie has no desire to play in places like Chuck E. Cheese, Chick-fil-a, etc.

However, I took Sadie to the Children's Museum yesterday and let her play.  And play.  And pick up toys that other kids had been playing with.  And yes, some of those toys went into her mouth.  Amazingly, though, I didn't stress too much.  I was very appreciative of the employee who was constantly cleaning the equipment.  Also, the toys were rotated about every 30-45 minutes.  Workers would come in with giant tubs, pick up ALL the toys in an area, and put out "fresh" toys.  Adults had to have their feet covered with those surgical foot covering things.  Granted, we came in and immediately changed clothes and disinfected our hands (as we did occasionally during the time we were there), but overall I wasn't grossed out.

Then there was this afternoon.  Just when I thought I might have had a breakthrough by letting Sadie play at the museum, we went to the eye doctor.  The waiting room was crowded.  Kids were on the floor playing with toys.  Toys that I never once saw being cleaned or exchanged.  I saw a couple of people with their feet in the seats.  I felt a tiny bit sick.  I came home and scrubbed my arms where they rested on the armrests.

Maybe something's wrong with me.  Or maybe it's a good thing I'm germ conscious.  Hey, I like that better - 'germ conscious' rather than 'germaphobe'.  I don't sound as much like a freak if I refer to myself that way.

So, the point of this post?  None whatsoever.  I am just thinking about how anxious I am to take a shower.

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