Everybody has their quirks. They aren’t bad things — just those little habits or preferences that might seem “out of the ordinary” to others. Maybe you can only sleep on one side of the bed, or you’re guilty of clicking a pen until it drives people crazy (guilty). Chances are, there are others out there who share these quirks in some way, but they’re not the kind of things we talk about very often.
So, what’s mine? Honestly, I don’t even have a proper name for it. The only way I can describe it is this: I base decisions on the seasons.
Take earlier this week, for example. September rolled in, and with it came the subtle whisper of fall. Sorry, summer lovers — but I’m a fall girl through and through. On September 1st, I stood at my kettle ready to choose my morning drink. Normally, it’s green tea or peppermint. But that day? A lone Earl Grey teabag caught my eye. My brain immediately reasoned: black tea is a “cold weather” drink, and since it was officially September, it was fair game.
Looking back, I think it has a lot to do with memories. My uncle always had Earl Grey while taking us trick-or-treating, and it’s a beverage of choice for my dad around Christmas. So for me, Earl Grey is stitched into October and December — not May or July. Of course, a London Fog — Earl Grey with steamed milk and vanilla — is exempt from this rule. Don’t ask me why, but somehow that one feels acceptable year-round.
And tea isn’t the only example. I’m the same way with books. Most people can pick up any book, anytime. Not me. Hockey romances? Only in hockey season, bonus points if there’s snow outside. Cozy mysteries? Strictly reserved for fall. Summer beach reads? Only when it’s actually summer.
Fiction without a seasonal vibe is “safe” year-round, but if I start one and realize it’s set in a particular season, I immediately wish I’d timed it better. Still, I keep reading — with just a tiny pang of guilt that I didn’t follow my own “rules.”
Quirks are funny like that. To you, they’re completely normal. To someone else, they might sound strange. But they’re the little details that make us unique, and I think that’s something to be proud of. They add a bit of texture to our lives, tiny rituals that give rhythm to the everyday.
So whether your quirk is seasonal tea drinking, saving hockey novels for winter, or always sleeping on the left side of the bed — embrace it. These little habits might not make sense to everyone, but they’re part of who we are. And that, in itself, is pretty wonderful.
