Deep Dark Secret

Ok, here goes.  It's time to come clean.  I'm a nail biter.  It's shameful I know, and I want to quit so bad.  Even now I am rubbing my thumb across the nail of my pointy finger and am thinking to myself, "hmm, the nail seems to be a bit rough, I'd better nibble it down to smoothness".  Of course that never works.  Inevitably, at some point I've worn it down to where it meets the skin and it starts to hurt.  Must, not, bite, nail...

Driving is the worst.  I could be having a perfectly good non-nail chewing day and find that by the time I get home from work, they are all chewed down to the skin.  It must be the idleness of the drive with nothing for my hands to do. One thing that helps is chewing gum, but that has it's own side affects (especially if there is lots of sugar involved), but may be a better alternative.  There are some other suggestions here, but needless to say - it's gota stop.

According to this, nail biting could be a result of a "nervous habit" or stress or anxiety.  Although I have my share of stress and anxiety, I'm not sure that's the reason.  My guess is it's more along the lines of the need to be doing something all the time.  I've never been a big fan of idleness.  Or it could just simply be a need to have smooth edges.  I have a similar thing with burgers.  When I take a bite, if it's not a clean cut and there is a bit of the pickle or lettuce or something sticking out I have to either bite it off or pull it out before taking my next full bit.  Weird, I know.  Something wrong in my head?  Probably.

So, this begins the first in my public disclosure of my goals for this year.  I will stop biting my nails.

Now, where's that nail file...