OCD, Thanksgiving, and Love...a Tuesday Tale


Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Happy Tuesday and time for another edition of Tuesday Tales. This week I take you  to my new young adult romance WIP, Eyelashes Freeze in North Dakota-But Not Warm Hearts.  Follow Adelaide's journey as I present the following picture prompt:




"Adelaide washed her face, brushed her teeth, and braided her hair, wondering how many other people thought about their movements and actions as much as she did. She read the book, The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Washing, when she was a teenager. The book detailed accounts of people suffering from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, OCD, for short. The featured boy washed himself for hours each day, fearing germs. Other people relentlessly counted or checked things continuously- one woman plucked out each of her eyebrows in an obsession for symmetry of them.
Over the years, she rationalized her actions were not as extreme as the examples in that book. However, having a sense of order consumed her. She acknowledged her feelings as perfection or attention to detail, and disregarded any clinical diagnosis. Adelaide was again her own best therapist. I’m simply a hodge podge of eccentricities. Her reflection in the bathroom mirror pleasingly shone back at her. Carefully putting away her toiletries and make-up, Adelaide switched off the bathroom light, and went back into her room to gather her textbooks and netbook.
Reaching for her backpack, her stomach growled, throwing her mind into a spin. Adelaide’s rapid thought process quickly escalated her imagination to the last full table she shared with her family at Thanksgiving. She ticked off the list of food in her mind-turkey, dressing, celery casserole, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, stuffed mushrooms…she made exactly two dozen. Stop! What are you doing? Get a grip today, being nervous is not my friend. It’s just a guy for crying out loud.
But, I’m new at this and it’s scary…
Adelaide cleared her mind of the obsessive thoughts and spent a moment considering a reasonable breakfast. Glancing at her watch, she decided to forego the morning meal in the cafeteria. She needed the extra time to search for him..."


Now that you've read my contribution to TT, please visit my creative friends over at our main blog, Tuesday Tales for their take on this Thanksgiving table. I hope you have a warm and wonderful holiday full of blessings.

Comments

V.L. Locey said…
A hodgepodge of eccentricities, I love that! Good post.
November 20, 2012 at 6:21 AM
Karen Cino said…
I like how you show us Adelaide's characters. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 20, 2012 at 11:44 AM
Jean Joachim Books said…
Now I need to know who he is. Love your dealing with OCD and how you build her character.
November 20, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Carolyn Gibbs said…
Great post. I love how showed us Adelaide's mind at work. Happy Thanksgiving!
November 20, 2012 at 8:24 PM
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