Giant Eagle, probably in response to Kroger’s, has finally dedicated an entire aisle to organic items.

The aisle is located at the far end of the store, just opposite the bakery, and aisle that I never go down. It used to be “seasonal items” and it’s placement across from the bakery guaranteed I didn’t go down the aisle. I never need “seasonal items” and if I don’t see the doughnuts, then I don’t buy them.

But now organic items are there, so I have to walk down that aisle.

It’s the random things that remind me that I don’t have nearly as much control over my OCD as I think I do.

The change threw off my usual shopping pattern. I was now walking down aisles I normally walk up.

You would not believe how difficult it was to keep pushing my cart. I had an almost overwhelming urge to either skip an aisle I normal check, or to walk down an aisle, immediately turn around, and then walk back up that aisle, just to get back in the “right” direction.

It was a nasty little reminder that my OCD isn’t nearly as quiescent as I like to think it is; that just because I’ve learned to deal with things like making sure all the light switches are in the correct direction, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t other things out there that I’m just not paying attention to.

It also makes me wonder which battles are worth fighting. I made it through Giant Eagle without caving in, but I have to wonder whether the battle was worth it. Does it help me to fight? Does it keep my mind flexible and less likely to fall into these ruts? Or is it just something harmless that I can ignore; a battle I’ll never win?

I don’t know.