I like to use this blog to reflect on all the wonderful qualities that make me the strange and delightful person that I am. And one of those qualities, possibly one of my most defining qualities, is my fussiness.

I’ve always been fussy. When I was little, I used to drive my parents mad. I wouldn’t eat this and I wouldn’t eat that. No egg, no peas, no mashed potato – and the list went on and on and on.

As I grew older, my fussiness didn’t abate. I’m still highly particular with my food – still no egg, peas, or mashed potato. But this fussiness has also found other ways to manifest itself.

Finding a career was not easy for me. Like many, I did all those aptitude tests when I was at school. All they revealed to me was the number of jobs I didn’t want to do. And as for the jobs I was advised I should do – well I didn’t want to do them either. That I actually found a productive way to earn a living is little short of a miracle.

These days, I’m fussy about pretty much everything. The clothes I wear. The books I read. The TV shows and movies that I watch. The music I listen to. There’s very little that I don’t turn my nose up at. Only a very small selection that I deem to be acceptable.

Which is why I find it pretty funny these days when I often describe myself as ‘not that fussy’. Given all the contrary evidence, however did I come to that conclusion?

Very easily. By reading reviews.

Reviews blow my mind. I see reviews of restaurants and they’re dissecting every tiny taste and every ingredient. I see reviews of books and they’re digging into every sentence and turn of phrase. I see reviews of films and they’re analysing the lighting and the scene composition.

Sure, I might expect that from professional reviewers, but when I go online, it seems like everyone is an expert, fully qualified to rip things apart.

With me, it’s just not that complicated. I eat a meal, I either like it or I don’t. I read a book, I either like it or I don’t. I listen to some music, I either like it or I don’t. I just reckon life is too short to spend so much time analysing to that level of detail.

So, like I say, I’m fussy. But I’m really not that fussy.