I wonder if anyone but me has a loved one (whose identity I will guard with my life) who suffers from a little known fear I have chosen to call Trashcanaphobia. Maybe it is not your loved one. Maybe it is you. See if any of this sounds familiar. Sufferers of Trashcanaphobia inexplicably leave all sorts of things – used Splenda packets, or even running shoes, for instance – on otherwise spotless kitchen counters for hours on end or until a codependent loved one moves them. Here’s the definitive part of the diagnosis: and all the while with the trash can only a few feet away. After watching this strange phenomenon for a matter of years (I’ll not say exactly how many), I have come to the conclusion that said sufferer cannot help it. Said sufferer obviously has a terror of trash cans.
Here is a recent documentation of this little-explored and afore unexplained phenomenon:
This very morning, my mind was even further expanded concerning phobias when Melissa’s cell phone dropped in the middle of rich conversation as it does every single morning. I called her back and got the usual voice mail, then about 10 minutes later like clockwork she rang my line. I answered the phone with, “I bet anything your cell battery was dead.”
“Yep, it was.” (It almost always is.) “Colin told me yesterday that he can come up with no further explanation for why I constantly have a dead battery except for an undiagnosed fear of phone chargers.”
So, that’s two of them in our family at least. We’ll call that one “Cellchargaphobia.” I think my daughters told you several years ago that I have a phobia of unfried foods. We’ll call it “Unfriedaphobia.” I’ve gotten some victory over it the last few years but it is still my phobia of choice.
So, please say it’s not just the Moores. Any odd family phobias out there?
PS. We’re having fun here today. Those in a mood to take themselves too seriously will want to find a different blog for the next 24 hours. You are dearly loved but we’ll talk to you later in the week.
Tupperware-lid-condensation-phobia…it is paralyzing. We’ve all been there…throw the leftovers in a Ziploc storage container and put it in the fridge for a quick lunch the next day. The next day lunch time rolls around and you remember, “my dinner from last night is awaiting me in the fridge!!! YAY for leftovers!!!” And then it happens…you remove the container and see the droplets of horror dangling from the lid. They mock you with their seeming innocence…but you know of their ability to taint anything they touch with…well…disgustingness. I admit it…I refuse to prepare leftovers as I am scared silly of the condensation that pools on the Tupperware lid as I know if it’s love to taint…and stain. YES TAINT AND STAIN!!! It is that serious people.
Ahhhh…it feels good to release that into the universe. Now if the leftovers are prepared for me and I can be kept out of the zone of condensation…I am on team leftover. I am captain of that team. So that is what I need in my life…a leftover warmer upper. Know anyone in the market seeking a position in that particular field??? BTW…the tape measure is a riot…just a riot!!!
This was hilarious and quite refreshing to know that there is someone else that has trashcanaphobia! Empty water bottles/soda bottles find their way to the counter but never to the trash that is right there…a measly 7 inches away!
For me, it is definitely laundryputawayphobia. I can wash it. I can fold it. For some reason, I am loathed to put it away.
12 step anyone! :o)
My husband would say that I have “gasstationaphobia” as I tend to leave his car in the garage on “E” quite frequently (oops!). But HE on the otherhand, suffers quite terribly from “aquaphobia” (not really, but kind of…) because he cannot, I repeat CANNOT, rinse his dishes before placing them in the sink. Even after years of gently reminding him to please at least rinse his dishes in order to make dish washing a tidge easier for me…he still cannot do it. Alas, we are all works in progress…I suppose. 🙂
HAHAHA you guys are funny 😀
I have a couple –
Dawnaphobia – that blue liquid is scary! Those pesky dishes pile up next to the sink. Sometimes when they do, I’ll invite my friend over for dinner because he always does the dishes. One time someone told me I should get a dishwasher. I replied, “I’ve got one, he just doesn’t come over very often.”
Pledgeaphobia – that spray comes out so fast. Same friend recently wrote “dust me” with his finger on the table in the living room. Thinks he’s funny he does. 😛
And the biggest one is – HOMEWORKAPHOBIA. uga. nuf said.
Love you!
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for the laugh today. I needed it! I love that you measured the distance and apparently stood on a chair or counter to get the picture. That is SO what I would have done! I also loved the phobiaofpostingphobias above.
We homeschool here so we have the idontwanttodoschoolphobia and then the idontwanttoputupmybookswhenimdonephobia. 🙂
I loved your photos of the tape measure to the trash can…hilarious! We are a house of phobias, but I never knew it had a name like this, so thank you for helping us become aware.
I have mice-a-phobia…dead or alive. And in general, I don’t like to see any animal dead.
My husband has been washing our dinner dishes for probably 20 years (I am so thankful!), but he does suffer from “I-don’t-know-where-the-dishes-go-a-phobia.
Our daughters both have dirty-sheet-check-a-phobia. Whenever we are in a hotel, they strip the beds to look carefully at the bedsheets before getting in. Me, I’d rather live in denial on that one and just get in. I figure what I don’t know won’t hurt me!
Drawercloseophobia. My daughter has a fear of closing drawers–especially in the bathroom & her bedroom (chest of drawers). I have threatened to take “drawer privileges’ away & just put all her belongings in a big box on the floor!
Someone in my house (who’s my 10 year old son) definitely suffers from Trashcanaphobia. He walks up to trash can and misses. Lord knows how many times a day, I called him to pick up after himself.
I got this tip from Andy Stanley (heard it from one of his sermons) where he calls his kids and said to them while standing in front of whatever needs to be picked up:
Andy: I want you to say (speaking to his children) – Daddy I want you pick up my clothes (trash – whatever) for me because you are my servant. And he or his wife would insist that they (children) say it.
Of course, the kids would not want to. I tried it and it worked like a charm.
Love the idea. But I can just hear my little smart alecks now, “Yeah, and it’s about time you caught on to that.” Of course, they’re not so little. Just full of sass 🙂
I have a leftoverphobia…if it’s been in Tupperware overnight I’m likely never to touch it and after about a week end up throwing it out Tupperware container and all!
GASP! Never, I repeat, NEVER throw your Tupperware away! This is not a test. This is not a phobia. It is in the Bible. I’m sure of it.
Repent, and you will be forgiven…
😉
Oh MY! We have some phobias in our household as well!
One of the ones that perplexes me the most is the “fullofpoophobia”… I won’t say who has this in our family BUT will say that when you have a 15 month old and newborn twins… this phobia is NOT good… you see whenever one of the three diapers is “full of poo” the afflicted person is either MIA OR suddenly struck with a non-functioning nose… It is a mystery! The oldest is now out of diapers and the two little ones are almost potty trained… and somehow I think when they are all using the toilet – the afflicted person will be CURED!
Thanks for the fun today… it was good to see and appreciate that my afflicted person doesn’t have some of these others! Definately something to be thankful for!!!!
Lisa
YES!! My husband of a little over 30 years. Splenda packets, yogurt containers, anything that goes in the trash or back in the pantry is left on the counter… In the interest of peace and peace of mind, I’ve decided to stay codependent and dispose of it myself. It is just one of those mysteries of life that will probably never be discovered. … oh, you didn’t ask, but the toilet seat never gets lifted either…
I have witnessed “closetphobia”. When someone takes off their shoes they are left in the family room or in the bedroom. But the shoes do not make it into the closet. The victim must be afraid of the closet, right??
My husband and I disagree on who should check the pockets on dirty clothes…we’ll call it pocketcheckaphobia. He thinks the person doing the laundry is responsible and I think the person to whom the laundry and contents of said pockets belongs is responsible. If it’s in the dirty clothes, I must assume that you have retrieved all valuables from your pockets. I’m normally a pretty flexible person, but I have stuck to my guns on this one because, dang it, I’m right :). Needless to say, if it’s small enough to fit in your pocket, I’ve probably washed it.
Stick to your guns girlfriend…YOU are RIGHT. My husband and I have had this “discussion” since before we were even married (yes I did his laundry before we were married…he actually would bring it to my house and i would do it. Such a sucker I was)
The wearer of the clothes should check the clothes because what ever land in MY washer is fair game ie money, candy etc.
I definitely have “foldaphobia” – I just keep leaving the clothes in the dryer while adding the new load of wet ones (just undies & socks, so it’s ok -I hang all the rest – and leave them above the washer far too long!). And most certainly there is “laundrybasketaphobia” in my household – as well as “trashcanaphobia”. Plus I have to admit that I also have “cellphonechargerphobia” – I never seem to remember to charge it up!!! YIKES! Is there a “timefliesbytooeasily” obsession [opposite of phobia]??
lovingly, Barb
OK, I’m naming the rascal: my husband (bless him) suffers from a chronic and completely untreated case of dirtyclothesbinaphobia.
He has a bin of his very own on his side of the bathroom. And, alas, his clothes find their way to the top of the bin, next to the bin and even under the bin. But never ever IN the bin. I’ve tried to demonstrate that the lid works like so. To no avail. I assure him it will neither bite him, eat him or otherwise suck him in. Again, no response.
Oh well. Lord just please, don’t ever deliver me from selftooseriousaphobia!
uh my hubby is so trashcanophobia…I have yet to understand that very part of his being…I even had him try to explain it to me…much to my dismay…he said there is no explanation…How could that be? I have to confess though I have a veggieaphobia..I literally could run a dash when they come my way…hmmmm a trashcanophobia and veggieaphobia…what a combo..hahahah
love to you
I’m sure I won’t be the first to post my concerns over “LaundryBasketAPhobia”. My beloved husband has that…or at least his underwear do.
Ours in our house, of whom shall not be named is terrified of putting away laundry.
The aboved mention will help with doing the washing, the drying and the folding but there is something that is totally terrifying about putting the clean smelling, freshly folded laundry away in a drawer. The mentioned will even seperate everything on the bed as to socks, underclothes, pants and t-shirts and there it will sit until bed time and then it mysteriously ends up back in the chair in the room.
Laundraphobia- fear of putting away the laundry.
Thanks for letting me know we are not alone.
Pam
My husband and children have fillaphobia…they are fearful of opening the dishwasher and placing their dirty dishes in it. They also have unfillaphobia…the fear of taking clean dishes out and putting them away.
Love you guys!
This is too funny! I’m so glad to have joined Siestas with the same family phobias! My better half also suffers from Trashcanaphobia. He is a died in the wool southern sweet tea man, so I find used tea bags on the counter as reminder of his southern gentleman charm!! So thoughtful of him!
Still looking for the cure!
Gail
My family has a fear of the dishwasher. They do pretty good at putting the dishes in the sink but can never get them the 8 inches further into the dishwaser.
Hamperaphobia is the fear in my house. I live with three boys (two are under the age of 5, so I will let them slide a little, but the other…..). Need I say more????
You and yours are not the only ones with a phobia. Mine would have to be vacuuming. Even though I have two cats (lots of shedding), I can still easily think of things to do other than running the dreaded machine. Should it be called vacuumaphobia?
I have a terror of any food not enhanced by DAIRY.
if I can’t have cream, or cheese with a food, I don’t really want to eat it.
blueberries, a nice healthy snack right? but they MUST be served with cream drizzled all over them.
carrot sticks? “delish”….but only with bluecheese dressing
so what would you call that?
Deirdre
I’ve got it: lactoseintolerantaphobia! Is that contagious?
Kathy,
I don’t know if it is contagious, but is sure is FATTENING!!!!!
*sigh* I can’t break free from it though……perhaps because I don’t really want to ?
un-dairy-drenched-a-phobia perhaps?
Deirdre
In addition to hamberaphobia, the oldest boy in my house also suffers horribly from dishwasheraphobia! It is debilitating for him, poor guy!
BETH!
I love this post so much and just this morning I was thinking, “I need me a ‘laugh my head off Bethie blog post.'” WOW! I didn’t pray about it or anything, just thought about it… Whatta bing, whatta bang, here it is!!!
My sweet precious man has “YorkPeppermintPattiewrapperaphobia” which goes very well with trashcanaphobia. I find little silver balls of York Peppermint Pattie mint wrappers around the house all the time and it drives me crazy, yet I continue to buy those for him in large quantities…
But if he doesn’t get healed of “leavedrawersopenaphobia” I may have to quit buying those candies for him…
You are so good for me. Glad we’re having FUN here today because the Word says laughter is good like medicine, so I’m hoping for a big dose of it today.
Your friend,
Jan “GJ”
Jan, I had forgotten this one, but, yes indeed, my hubbie has suffered from this “YorkPeppermintPattiewrapperphobia.” When we first got married this was one of the most baffling things to me! He would either toss them on the coffee table or on the floor! At some point during childbearing years, the Peppermint Patties got moved to the bottom of the shopping list..thus, I had forgotten the tendency. I have to admit to laughing out loud when reading Beth’s post. My dear family member will actually dump leftover soda, tea, etc out of a paper cup and then place it the sink which is directly above my trashcan. You know, it is in a cabinet…maybe this is more serious than I thought! It might very well be the combination of the cabinet with the trash that does him in! I have learned to compensate for this persistent dilemma…I suffer from nothingwillgetthrownawayifIdon’tphobia. I truly enjoy throwing things away more than I should. One of life’s little joys! 🙂
Amy
This is too funny! I’m so glad to have joined Siestas with the same family phobias! My better half also suffers from Trashcanaphobia. He is a dyed in the wool southern sweet tea man, so I find used tea bags on the counter as reminder of his southern gentleman charm!! So thoughtful of him!
Still looking for the cure!
Gail
Yep. Fear of letting someone finish a story-any one of us in my immediate family (mom/dad/sis)will begin to tell about something new, not particularly interesting, but still. And sure enough halfway through it the listener will begin their own story, hello!
PAYATTENTIONAPHOBIA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I love this one! Are you and I related? Please tell me I’m not the one you’re talking about??
Wow!
After reading all these comments, I didn’t realize how phobic me and my family are. Thank you girls for letting me know that we are not alone. I even went to my pantry to check on beans. Yes, I even have more cans of beans. I might have to add cream of something soups to that.
Too Funny!
I have a loved one who also has the trashcanaphobia but
maybe not as badly as yours does as he leaves trash
lying on top of the trash can! Maybe his a liftingtrashcanlidaphobia. I seem to suffer from the
thingsoutofplacephobia and dirtphobia.
You are the second siesta to speak of this phenomenon!! Yes, that is even more advanced than regular trashcanaphobia.
I normally don’t comment, but i just have too!!!! My family will lay trash on the counter as opposed to pulling the sliding trash can out from under the counter…so the trash is piled up literally RIGHT ON TOP of the cabinet the trash can is located!!! It drives me crazy! So now they do it as a joke…see how long before I scream! hahaha
Thanks for making me giggle! =)
My dear loved one has one mentioned above relating to Q-tips, he is obsessed with using them (sometimes even has them in his pockets) but can’t seem to throw the pile away…
He also has packagingphobia- all packaging must be removed from an item and discarded. This includes cardboard medicine packages that contain dosage information or packaging material from things ordered online (including receipts) making it hard to return. Fortunately he resists recycling cereal boxes before they are empty…
To be fair…I have pileitis…the inability to put away my piles of paper…
I’m not a blogger but since the So Long Insecurity simulcast I have been visiting yours Beth and after today’s post I just may have to become one. I have LOL so many times over you precious ladies. Thank you for the smiles, laughter, and hilarity.
I suffer from both foldaphobia and putawayaphobia. My case, quite regrettably, is extremely advanced and there appears to be no cure on any horizon (and I have looked, mind you). So, I am learning to be content in every circumstance – and to embrace my laundryphobias. I’m thinking of installing a lampstand which gives soothing, soft light (instead of the glaring florescent light in there now) and maybe wiring it for gentle, calming music since this is apparently the room in the house where, from now til Jesus calls me home, I am destined to go to find any clothes.
I also regret to inform our community that it appears these two phobias are contagious because both of my older children have manifested similar symptoms as mine – particularly on the putawayaphobia front.
Oh, for relief. What I wouldn’t give. But until such time as I can be delivered / set free/ released from this terrible malady – I’m doing my best to bear up under it.
You crack me up!!!! Low lights and soothing music in the laundry room – you need to patent that concept!
Adrienne
OMS! (Oh my Siesta!) That is a REALLY GOOD IDEA!
ok in our house there is dropsyfobia. It gets dropped whereever and stays there till……………
I myself have sockaphobia…..I do not like to sort socks and with all the guys in my house it is not small feat!
Love you Beth for this post. Too fun!
BWAH-HA-HAH! I truly “laughed outloud” at the pictures! I love that you even set out the tape measure to just justify your theory. My home has been afflicted with laundry-basketaphobia. It is actually an epidimic in my home. I apparently have some sort of blessed antibodies in my system that keeps me from being affected by such affliction. My two daughters and their precious father, however, are severe sufferers. If I could attach a picture to this post, it would show right this very minute–dirty clothes in our laundry room lying on the floor RIGHT NEXT to the laundry baskets! The strength to lift the lids and toss those clothes in there must just send my people into an all-out laundry-basketaphobia attack!
Love to be playful! Thanks for the light topic today. Nothing frustrates me quicker than people too serious.
One of my favorite quotes, “Life is a blast! If you aren’t having fun, you aren’t doing it right.”
I also live with a trashcanaphobic or maybe it’s just a love of Diet Coke cans that he just can’t bear to part with. My trashcanaphobic also happens to be a dishwasheraphobic. There’s no problem getting the dirty dishes to the sink, even runs water to clean them, but just can’t manage to open the dishwasher door and put the dishes in the dishwasher which is only inches from the sink. Fun post!
My husband suffers from donteventrytomakethelaundrybasketphobia. He doesn’t even attempt to make the laundry basket when his clothes are dirty, he just puts them….where ever…there are too many places to list! Each week I have to go around and find all the hiding places to pick up the clothes. He claims that he is saving me laundry time by not filling the basket…and wearing socks three times…I tell him that the stress I get from wondering if he’s wearing clean clothes is not worth less laundry!!!
I have whattodowithmydigitalcamerapicturesaphobia. Followed by crumbaphobia…how does anyone walk by a counter like that and not run to the dish cloth???
My husband, I mean SOMEONE in my family has dishwasheraphobia. Somehow, his dishes manage to make their way into the sink, right next to the dishwasher, but never inside of it. I don’t get it.
I, Betina, suffer from cookaphobia! There…Beth, you helped to pull it out of me. LOL! I will scrub the house from top to bottom but please please please don’t make me cook. I just think that kitchens should be sooo beautiful and spotless. Why dirty up the dishes and my hands when we can just eat out. Ha ha! Thanks a million, Beth, for the opportunity to laugh on the blog today!
I’ll cook, you clean. My friend is trying to sell me on this ‘wonder cloth’. I told her, bottom line? I don’t mind germs! I’m a cookbook collector; LOVE ‘EM!
We have a syndrome in our family that has spread from generation to generation. My mom was the first to diagnose it. It is called “man eyes”. ALL men have this syndrome. They ask for something, you tell them EXACTLY where they can find it, and their eyes roam to and fro, while they find it necessary to yell out that they can’t find it. (Mind you they also haven’t moved anything around where ever they are looking, to possibly find the wanted item.)
This syndrome most often shows itself when the male species is looking for something in the kitchen more specifically the refrigerator. They will stand with that refrigerator door open for several minutes, and shout out, “I don’t see it, it can’t be in here, are you sure we have some?” I assure you the minute you (the female species) approach the refrigerator door you will see this wanted object directly in front of you.
WHEN this happens at our house we immediately burst into song and sing “blind man stood by the road and he cried, blind man stood by the road and he criiiied, blind man stood by the road and he cried OOOH oooh, show me the waaay, show me the waaay,”
At this moment, the man with the man eyes syndrome will throw you a very sarcastic look. They can’t help it, try not to take offense to it, it is a positive side affect to this syndrome.
Love you girls! Thanks for the levity today!, needed it as I am working my way through the second chapter of “So long Insecurity!!”…..:)
In HIS grip and SO thankful to be,
Aimee
YES! I usually walk to said open refrigerator, wave my hands in front of the shelf, and say “Whalla! Here it is!” pointing to the invisible item. My husband then gasps appropriately and responds with a “How do you DO that?”
oh yes, yes, yes… man eyes is rampant at our house as well – the hubby and the 3 small boys. today I asked my 4 year old to find his shoes and he actually looked UP! 🙂
I like that one; icantfinditphobia.
My standard reply “move things around” and then “you’ll find it when you want it enough”
Three sets of man eyes, sistas!
I loved that! So true!
Laundrybasketphobia – fear of placing dirty clothes IN the basket. However, for this person, clothes on top of or next to the basket is perfectly fine.
I have shredderaphobia. Why? Why? Why do I let the shredding pile up into a mountain????
I didn’t realize I had shrederaphobia tell I read your post Lyli. jWhew….not to find a cure
Oh my goodness….we are cleaning out my sweet little 86 year old mothers house ( she has moved into an Sr. Assisted living home) and we found bags and bags and bags of shred. I asked her the same question, “why do you let the shred pile up into a mountain”? Her response….I didn’t want the garbage men to think I was a trashy person!!!
This is hilarious!!!!! Especially the tape measure!
I live with “someone” who will remain nameless who has this same Trashcanaphobia with used sweet & low packets. We need to start a support group! I’m sure I have phobias as well, but… I’m not going to confess them today! 🙂
Happy Wednesday!
Melanie
~ melscoffeebreak.blogspot.com ~
In my home it is definitely ‘dishwasherphobia’ – the fear of putting anything in there, I suppose. I’ve been told there needs to be critical mass until my very loved person will face this fear – apparently one glass is not enough, but a whole days worth is?!
All in love and lightheartedness! Though I have heard stories of a former roommate of my loved one putting away all the dishes, save one of each (one bowl, spoon, fork, etc) for both of them and labelling whose was whose, to ensure the dishes got washed and put away each time. Don’t think I’ll go that far! But amazing how some things never change.
Okay, I have to tell the Siesta’s this and it’s not about a phobia but I think it will bless your socks off.
After Beth’s previous post, I left a response to Warm in Alaska. I was desperate, my boy who is in college is there and needed some help. She not only contacted me which was great BUT she willingly is providing the help that my son needs. I was asking God to please provide because I had no clue how and he used a Siesta from Siestaville to do so. My oh my – how good God is and how blessed I am to be a Siesta!
Wow! God has His people everywhere…..Amen.
Yup, we have laundrybasketaphobia – basket is within a basketball throw for everyone’s use and bam if the clothes don’t end up on the floor RIGHT BESIDE the basket 🙂 Thanks for the fun way to “vent”
love you to pieces…………
My family so has Trashcanaphobia. I’m the codependent one that picks up after them and then has a mini-melt down about once a month. 🙂 I do refuse to actually take the trash can out though. I think they do it out of fear. I say a little fear is healthy in a familial kind of way. Love you Beth and your sense of humor. My husband often tells me that I am warped and I’m glad to know there are more out there like me.
The males in my house have boxdisposalphobia. I am forever finding empty cereal boxes, snack wrappers, poptart boxes, cracker boxes, coke can boxes, you name it in the cupboard and then they get mad when I don’t realize we’re out and don’t buy more.
YES!!! What is UP with that?
Oh my word!!! YES, this happens at our house too! FOREVER finding empty boxes.
Or even containerphobia….I get so worn out taking the empty water pitcher from the fridge. Within a short time of me filling it and putting it in to cool, it is gone again. Same with OJ, etc…..
Hmmm? wonder if there are little critters in there having a party. Might be those leftoverphobias my son won’t touch