The World is Made up of Boxes I Don't Fit In.

I've just been out on a walk with my dog and, as dog walkers know, you usually see the same few fellow dog walkers and you have to stop and have a chat and let your dogs have a play. There's one guy with several Jack Russells who I often see and the dogs have to sprint over to say hello (and they're adorable). I saw him just now and we were having a chat and got talking about work and he said to me, "I can't place you." Meaning, he couldn't work out what I did for a job. I get this a lot - people not being able to place me, as if everybody fits neatly into a box. I've had a similar comment from another old dog walker. I guess it's because I'm (reasonably) young, I rarely wear make-up, I don't mind looking like a scruff or bellowing across the field for the dog, I don't mind wearing wellies and getting wet. I don't have children, I'm clearly not pregnant and I'm always on my own. I'm reasonably intelligent, yet I have a farmer's accent (not that farmers aren't intelligent, but whenever books/film/TV wants to portray a stupid, working class person, they usually get given a west country accent).

When I say I work in an office, it surprises people. I don't know if they were expecting 'kennel worker' (done that) or 'house keeper' (done that, too) or, I don't know. Farmer. Horsey person. I have no idea what's expected of me.

And it got me thinking about other things. How I am and what I like in general often surprises people. I don't fit with people's perceptions. I remember having The Shanklin Freakshow playing quite loudly in my car, pulling up to park and, when I turned the engine off and got out, having a guy come up to me to ask for a light. When I said I didn't smoke and had no light, he accused me of lying and said, "You can't listen to music like that and not have a light." I'm not sure what the implication was!

I watch Hollyoaks. Apparently, that surprises people. I have tattoos - again, something that's given people pause. I loved the OC. I hate horror films but love Most Haunted, or documentaries about autopsies. I listen to opera and classical music. And I bloody love Robbie Williams's 'Candy' song.

I have been to watch Shakespeare plays and cheesy musicals and The Circus of Horrors.

my eye

Psychics can't read me, Derren Brown can't fool me. I've got green eyes, along with the other 1-2% of the entire human population. I'm INFJ, says Myers-Briggs. I'm a supertaster, and I'm immune to the common cold. My surname is so rare that there's apparently one Tett per million people in the UK.

I don't smoke, I don't drink. I'm agnostic, anti-social, too-honest and too-angry. I love making people laugh. And I'm a blue belt in karate.

I have been called weird. And quirky. And "Not like anybody else I've ever met," but doesn't everybody think they're different? We're all special snowflakes.

The world is made up of boxes that I don't fit in ~ I Keep Myself to Myself by The Boy Least Likely To