Propensity to Proof Read

I was given some feedback from the facilitator of a course and was intrigued by one of the comments:

"Attention to detail is noted."  

I wasn't sure if it was a negative comment about my propensity to correct spelling and grammar mistakes or if it was somehow a positive note.  Luckily I asked about it and found out that it was indeed a compliment for my thorough completion of workbooks with insightful answers, or maybe rubbish answers but lots of them.

I expressed my apologies for correcting typographical or grammatical errors throughout the course but offered to proof read the course notes before it is offered later this year.  The facilitator said he might follow me up on that.  Yay!  I love proof reading.  He hadn't asked anyone to proof read the original notes which is why there were so many mistakes.  He also showed me that he had indeed noted on one of my assessment sheets that I had paid attention to detail in my workbook and written well thought out answers.

I'm quite intrigued by the way people label attention to detail as "obsessive".  I was discussing it with a friend who said she only bothers to read over something she's written if it's something important.  I pointed out that we have exactly the same philosophy but I think all forms of written communication deserve to be reviewed.  I always check for spelling mistakes, missing punctuation and anything that might cause misunderstanding.

I have a whole board on Pinterest devoted to language.  Here are some of the pins:

Source: google.com.au via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Amanda on Pinterest

Source: facebook.com via Amanda on Pinterest

Why attempt to communicate if you're not going to bother ensuring it will make sense to the receiver of the message?

It turns out that some people just don't care and to those people I say:

Just because I care,

it doesn't mean I have OCD.

Attention to detail is not OCD

I recently attempted to make a point and was misunderstood.  That never happens.

A friend posted something on facebook that I found quite amusing because I could identify with it.  I also found it quite offensive because I reckon it's completely misguided.

19 Things That Will Drive Your OCD Self Insane

My Comment:

"Just because some of us like things completed neatly and properly doesn't mean we are obsessive. It doesn't mean we have OCD selves, nor does it mean we have OCD or are suffering from an illness. It certainly does not indicate that we are OCD. It's like saying that your friend who has an itchy foot is CBL (Chronic Broken Leg).

If people are going to label attention to detail and a strong desire to put things right as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, why not label those who don't care with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome? Surely a lack of care for things being well ordered and completed indicates laziness if an abundance of care means obsession.

Please discuss."

Response to my comment:

"It means you may have OCD tendancies :D "

WHAT?!  Now someone is diagnosing me with a predilection for a disorder that I've just said has nothing to do with me disliking chaos?

In the responses below the actual post I could only find one person who understood where I was coming from.  Thank you sarahn14 who wrote:

"You don't have OCD if you like things orderly. Perfectionism isn't OCD. You're never “so OCD” about something. Either you have the entire package or you don't. Stop making a serious illness an explanation for your quarks, oddities, and/or perfectionism."

 Honestly!  Some people like order and others couldn't care less.  Can we all stop saying that organised people have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?

The Tree of Life - Session 2

Wonga Beach, QLD

The Tree of Life - Session 2 

We put our individual Trees of Life together to make a Forest of Life.  
I like analogies and visualising stuff so I found it pretty exciting.  

I imagined my birds (my gifts to others) flying around the forest teaching people, showing empathy and spreading laughter.  I could look at someone else's tree and find fruit (others' gifts to them) of laughter and think "wow, that could have come from one of my birds".  I made all these great connections and was quite exhilarated by it all.  The trees made it so easy to understand. 

The funny thing is that when I was studying Anatomy and Physiology at Flinders Uni I wrote some really dreadful assignments.  Isn't that hilarious?  No, the funny thing is that my lecturer wrote "Can't see the forest for the trees." because I would write paragraph after paragraph of detailed analysis about how some process works in particular cells but I would have no idea how it affected the person in the case study.

Similarly, when I was in primary school we were told to draw a picture of trees and I started by drawing individual leaves of a tree.  When everyone else had finished several trees I was still drawing the little leaves of one tree.  I love that I literally couldn't draw a forest because I was stuck drawing the leaves of one tree.

I think there's another major example of me being blind to the big picture because I was too bogged down in detail but I can't think of it right now.  With the Forest of Life I was able to focus on individual people and also see all people as a community and appreciate the wonderful interactions we have with each other.

 Also in this session we chose someone important to us and drew a picture or wrote them a letter.  I illustrated my Grandma's generosity by drawing stick figures of all the things she does to care for me.  We discussed our letters and drawings in pairs or small groups.