Anal Anyone?

For the record, I have been offended today. Not in a bigoted, racist, sexist, fire a shock jock kind of way, but I am still left feeling a little miffed. It has come to my attention that I am perceived as anal retentive at work. This revelation is not shocking to me, considering the fact that I fully admit to being particular about a lot of different things. Especially work things. I like order. I dig schedules. I get maximum satisfaction out of office supplies. And nothing pleases me more than crossing things off my list. (Except maybe making the lists themselves).
Let's face fact. There are several factors that have contributed to my "condition". Numbers one and two would be my parents. I couldn't escape them growing up and I have morphed into a melted version of them. Believe me when I say this should be taken as a compliment. They are both organized, neat, and tidy. They are great examples of how an orderly life should run and I still look up to them. My Mom always knows the right thing to do. More importantly, she actually lives that way. Sadly, this has become a rarity these days. (Lucky for you, I am on a different soapbox today) Number three is my inner voice. It tells me to take pride in the details and that everything should match. It cares about things like grammatical errors, DVDS that face the same direction, folding socks, and hospital corners when making the bed. Yes, I still make the bed. I continue to do so even though I am well aware of the fact that I am going to get right back in it the next night. Number four is my job itself. It forces me to be organized and on top of things. Without my particularity, I wouldn't be employed. I get paid to look out for the little things. In my book, paychecks equal shelter and food, so I am all about paying attention to detail.
I hate that being perceived as particular carries such a negative connotation. It implies that I am rigid, inflexible, or even cold. It screams that I can't go with the flow or let loose. To a certain extent, I believe this to be true of myself. I can safely say that I won't ever bungee jump, dart out in traffic, or leave dishes in my sink. However, I am willing to compromise, try new things, and take risks. You know what they say, behind every great adventure is a great plan. Besides, the word anal is just so......yucky.