At Age 66 AC Learns How to Tie His Shoelaces

Not long ago, Sue  was trying to teach Danica how to tie her shoelaces. It was kind of an exercise in futility since kids these days have so few shoes that are the lace-up type that they don't get any sustained practice. In fact, I don't think I've seen Danica with another shoelaced pair of shoes since that morning.

However, at the age of 66, I thought I could also use a lesson.

Huh?

Chill out, dear patron of The AC is On, for I do know how to tie my laces — in my own inimitable fashion anyway.

But . . . I have long been aware that I don't lace-up like normal folk. Yeppers . . .  I am unique. That is putting it mildly. The common consensus is another word — weird. Oh well.

It all began when I was about Danica's age. Some little school friend taught me a method where you makes two bows and then cross them over. It worked fine for quite a few years.

Sometime in my teenage years, however, I became aware that this was not the adult way. No. Adults did sort of a single loop and then a wraparound. And what teenager doesn't desire to be more adult?

So, that's what I did — learned to do a loop and wraparound. And I continue to employ that method until this day. It works — except sometimes when I am facing the object that required tying as opposed to being behind it as when I tie my own shoelaces. When I help kids to tie their shoes, for example, I often have to get behind them. Go figga.

Therefore, I have known for sometime that a little something in my repertoire was amiss. Sadly, I have come to realize, in yet another way, that I am out of step with the rest of the world. This, essentially, is the story of my life.

So, when I asked Sue to reveal unto me the correct, union-sanctioned method, lo and behold it was totally opposite to mine.

When I make the starting loop, I have the open end on the left, not the right. When Sue went around it in a counter clockwise rotation, I went clockwise.

Yes, I am totally backward and opposite to most of my fellow travellers on this planet.

It takes all kinds, but I am, without doubt, one of a kind.

I still prefer my self-taught method. It seems much more natural and less awkward to me. And my shoelaces don't come undone either as they are prone to do when I attempt to apply the standardized method.

As if I needed another reminder, this confirms that I am not a standard sort of guy.