LEDGER COLUMNIST

Have you ever thought someone's behavior to be a bit odd?

I'm not talking about something you see someone do once in a blue moon, but rather a continued pattern of oddness?

And I'm not referring to those folks who are just a bit different...the ones who might be referred to as "odd birds."

I mean those people who seem to be obsessed with one thing or another.

I've known some people over the years I would place in this category.

You probably have as well.

There's a term for this. It's called obsessive-compulsive disorder and is defined thusly: psychiatric condition of compulsive behavior: a psychiatric disorder characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsive behavior such as continual washing of the hands prompted by a feeling of uncleanliness.

To further understand, we need to look at what each word means.

Obsessive: worrying uncontrollably: worrying compulsively about something or things generally.

Compulsive: driven to do something: driven by an irresistible inner force to do something.

Now that you understand completely what it is I'm talking about, have you ever thought about whether you have this disorder.

In order to have the disorder, I'd guess, one would have to be both obsessive and compulsive about something, like the continual washing of hands mentioned above. Ledger editor Klonie Jordan has written about his own issues with fear of germs and keeping a bottle of hand sanitizer close at hand at all times. That probably qualifies.

But, for clarification, I'll use my wife, Sherry, as another example of what probably does not qualify. (She LOVES it when I mention her exploits in this column.)

I think she is compulsive about talking on the phone to her friends.

She seems to 'be driven by an irresistible inner force' to chat for hours to first one friend and then another.

But I can't see where she is obsessive about it because she doesn't worry uncontrollably about talking on the phone. But of course, in this day of cell phones, she's always got her lifeline close at hand.

Just the other day, while she was cooking dinner and blah-blah-blahing, I thought about getting her one of those hands-free devices. She looked so uncomfortable with her neck craned like some contortionist in a circus.

But I thought better of it. That would be 'enabling' her.

But enough about others and their odd behavior. Let's get to me.

I really think I'm obsessive-compulsive about weeds.

The realization came to me the other evening as darkness was looming as I was in the back yard manicuring my lawn.

And by manicuring, I mean manicuring. I had scissors to trim the edge of the grass and cut the roots that were growing into the flower bed. I had a couple of other tools to scratch the soil and dig the weeds. I was like a man possessed. I couldn't stop until I finished the area I was working on, even though it was almost too dark to see ALL the weeds. By ALL, I mean the ones too small to pick with two fingers. That was the reason for the digging tool.

Other times, I'll be cutting the grass with my push mower and see some weed. I just HAVE to stop and pull it. I can't help myself. Maybe that's why it takes me so long to mow the lawn.

And I do research. I try to figure out exactly what kinds of weeds are growing in my yard and flower bed so I'll know exactly how to get rid of them.

I use the Internet. I pester local Clemson Extension Agent David Parker so much that I'm sure he hates to see me coming.

I corner Todd Roberson, the greens superintendent at Cherokee National. I quiz the guys at lawn and garden shops.

It's getting so bad, I've even taken to telling others how to get rid of weeds in THEIR lawns.

"Yep, that's Dallis grass. A little bit of MSMA will take care of that. But you better get some quick. They're getting ready to take it off the market."

So, do you think I've got a problem, or what?

Cody Sossamon (cody@gaffneyledger.com) is publisher of The Gaffney Ledger.