I am Not a Germaphobe

Have you ever seen that episode of Seinfeld where David Puddy is a Germaphobe?  I find it to be hilarious but I don't think I fit into that category.  Maybe I'm wrong.

There have been several events lately that have made me wonder, Am I actually a Germaphobe?  I wash my hands before I eat.  If I'm in a place where that's not possible, I use Purell.  I wash my hands after I blow my nose, sneeze, or use the restroom. When I cook, I'm even more compulsive.  I wash my hands before I start cooking, after answering the phone, after looking up something on the computer, or after assisting the kids with something.  If people are going to be eating my cooking, I want to make sure they don't get any of my germs.  Does that make me a Germaphobe?

Many years ago, I was in the restroom at a store nursing my baby.  I exited the stall at the same time as another woman.  She noticed that I had my hands full and jumped to politely open the door for me.  "No, that's OK," I said.  "I'm going to wash my hands."  She smiled sweetly, opened the door, and left.  I was totally grossed out and have never forgotten that incident.

On occasion, I find myself in a handicapped restroom stall that has its own sink.  When I use the sink, I'm always worried that someone in the restroom will think I didn't wash my hands.  So if I have Baby Girl with me, I will say to her (for everyone else's benefit), "We already washed our hands in the stall.  We don't have to do it again."  I just want to make sure they all know.

I was with a friend in a restroom recently.  After using the bathroom, she turned on the water, quickly rinsed off her hands, and left.  That's better, I guess, but it still bothered me that she didn't use soap.

So you tell me.  Am I the odd one?  Am I a Germaphobe?  It seems to me like I am no longer the norm because I wash my hands often.