I have a poor sense of direction, yet when I’m sailing (which I’ve spent countless hours at starting as a kid) I know directions and locations instinctively. But every time I step out of an elevator I have no idea which direction I’m facing. Even at work, when I step out of the elevator, I have to check directions before heading to my cubicle. I also have this to a smaller extent leaving buildings, unless it’s on a tried-and-true path.
My anathema was the old Chem building at the U of M. It was a figure-8, with two levels and “countless twisty passages, all alike” to me anyway. Whenever I went in a door, I had to walk around aimlessly until I spotted some signpost to then find the classroom. On the way out, I headed for the nearest door (actually, followed any students who seemed to be leaving) and when I got outside, took my bearings and headed on. I could tell that few other students had this issue: they’d instinctively turn the right direction.
My wife is the opposite. She knows exactly where she is, and where everything else is. We were in that crazy mansion in California that the lady kept building on, to avoid her predicted demise. Halfway through the truly bizarre tour, someone mentioned a room we’d been in previously. The guide wasn’t sure which was meant, and my wife pointed down and to the left and said “One floor below us, two rooms over, and through the passageway, the one with the … etc. etc.” When I drive, I don’t argue her suggestion which way to turn.
I can wink with one eye, but not the other ( I can close my left eye without closing the right, but not the other way around. Also, I can’t for the life of me hit a curve ball.
I cant turn off the burner on gas stove. I have lost count of the number of times I have left burners on at the lowest level thinking I was turning them off and I finally realized I will never get it, My brain will not accept that I have to turn towards the highest setting to get to “off”. I’ve trained myself to check burners over and over and my husband to check them behind me, to compensate.
This is particularly embarrasing when it’s your own husband and children you don’t recognize. It’s just faces though, I have height, basic build and hair colour down but if all of those and the colour of the shirt of the day match I’m pooched. Luckily we managed to compensate by always having me be the point person and everyone coming to me when we had to separate. I managed to make it to their adulthood without losing them permanently
I actually do recognize that I should know someone though, I just can’t put names and faces together. I’m amazing with voices and names though so working from home has been a huge boon. I always know who has joined the call just by their hello.
I’m also terrible with faces, pretty much exactly as **teela brown **described. Oddly, though, I can always pick my mother out of the crowds at the airport or whatever, even though we haven’t lived in the same town for nearly 30 years and she has changed considerably in that time. My husband, unfortunately, is not so easy to spot, especially if he puts on or takes of a coat. Shirt colour is essential!
The other day I turned our small apartment upside-down for a framed picture I knew was on display. It was hanging on the wall three inches above the surface I remembered it being on. I had to ask my husband where it was (he’s the one who hung it on the living room wall—about six months ago).
I’ve also realized that my visual sense is entirely colour-based, and texture does not register.
Regarding whistling, my father told us that 14 was the age after which it was impossible to learn how to whistle. If we couldn’t do it by age 14, we’d never be able to. For years and years I believed this, which he thought was hilarious, and even though now I can produce some noise but not a tune, in my head I think that it’s an amazing accomplishment and also that my dad ruined us. None of us could whistle by 14, and indeed, none of us can really whistle today.
I have an actual learning disability diagnosed when I was in school. Most people have about 7 slots in short term memory. In other words, you can temporarily memorize a list of about 7 things. My limit is 3.
I have also not been able to do the toe touch since I was about 5 or 6 years old. My body just doesn’t work that way.
I’m also very non-musical. I suffer from discalculia which makes learning to read music, as well as math, very difficult. But I also lack the ability to match and maintain pitch. My wife and daughter are very musical. The wife played first chair french horn in highschool/college and my daughter has been told by several voice teachers that she could make a living with her voice if she so chooses. Me, I play the radio.
Can’t snap fingers, roll tongue, roll Rs, remember names and faces. Can’t bring my left foot over my right leg to put on sock or shoe, but can do the opposite way.
