I doubt I have to tell anyone on this site about how prone we are to developing phobias about the strangest things. Or how we tend to doubt what our own eyes and ears tell us. It can really put us through the ringer. Yesterday morning I had a pretty big victory. It was a bit gross but a victory none the less. I went to my 9 a.m class and when I stepped out of the car I dropped my keys. They landed near….wait for it….a used condom on the parking lot pavement. For just a moment as I reached down to pick them up all the old what ifs rushed into my mind. "Did they touch that thing and I just didn't notice?" "Should I wash the keys?" So forth and so on. Y'all know the drill. This time I chose to believe what I saw and trust myself. I knew those keys didn't touch that thing. So I picked them up and went to class. Now let me tell you back in the day the term meltdown wouldn't have covered what I would have gone through. I'd have skipped class, washed the keys, washed the car inside and out, washed all the clothes I was wearing and everything I came in contact with and spent at least an hour in the shower myself. That would have wasted half a day at least. This time I'd forgotten about the whole thing by the time class was over. I chose to tell this off color story because it shows how important it is to confront the ocd and to basically not make deals with a terrorist. Because thats what this thing is. I have to face my fears on a regular basis and I won't lie its hard but when I can successfully brush off something like this its worth it.