My name is Dan Harold and im obsessive-compulsive.

What does being OC mean? It’s not like what they show in the movies. I’m not obsessed with my navel or the number 13, and I don’t count the number of tiles in the sidewalk.

I AM however absorbed by small details which people normally don’t pay attention to. Details like the how straight the lines are on a sheet of notebook paper (they aren’t always straight, mind you). Or the flickering reception I get in my (analog) TV. Normally you wouldn’t see it, unless you stand really close to the screen. Or small things like the arrangement of bills in my wallet (highest to lowest) or the design of my engagement ring settings.

So what’s what being OC essentially means. Not much freaky is it?

What I don’t understand though, is the perception that of people with sufferers of OC syndrome. Thanks largely to Hollywood, were often portrayed as schitzo’s, psychos or potential murderers or rapists.

So what if I keep twirling my ring and look at the details? That doesn’t make me any different from someone who likes to flick a lighter on and off, or to twist their watch around when doing nothing.

I think the only scary thing about being OC is you tend to get completely absorbed when it comes to something. So now, excuse me while I stare at my ring and rearrange the bills in my wallet.