High maintenance

I recently read an article about the traits of high maintenance people.  Now, there are plenty of people out there that I would classify as high maintenance.  About half of them are men.  I know it's not the first thing people think of (societal norms point towards a spectacularly manicured woman as the epitome of high maintenance) however, I don't distinguish personality traits as being gender specific.

Further to the traits outlined in the article I read, I consider a person to be high maintenance not only when they take ridiculous amounts of time to get ready, spend others' money to their end, run their own mini-drama series and have excessive needs but also when they are:

• Over critical (about everything from breakfast cereal choice to clothing brands)
• Extremely fussy (from frequently washing their car to an inability to drink tap water)
• Vain (from constantly tucking a shirt in to having to wear particular attire to be able to attend a particular event)
• Expect too much from others (from never being the one to initiate correspondence to weighing social invitations against each other to determine which is more deserving of their attendance)

I would probably classify myself as the lowest maintenance person I know.  Don't get me wrong, I like to look my best but it takes me only about twenty minutes to get ready (including showering).  I also don't have a problem getting down and dirty.  I will mow the lawns, prune trees and fix the wipper snipper.  I can start a fire and cook on a barbeque.  I am not above carrying in the groceries.   I can wield a hammer, operate a chainsaw and chop down a tree with an axe.  Sure, I like to clean and paint my nails afterwards but I have no problem in being self sufficient.  

In fact, I honestly have trouble accepting help from others.  It does not come naturally to me.  It is a skill I am trying to learn.  For example, a group of guys and I go to a local coffee shop at work in the morning and there is this little ritual, akin to a dance, where we alternate opening doors for each other on the way to and back from the coffee shop.  After a year or so I still find it uncomfortable when it is not my turn to open a door!

To be honest, I am under pressure from a number of different people to become more high maintenance; to place more demands on other people.  I'm not sure this sits well with me.  I like being easy going.  I like that I can lie on the grass and watch the clouds roll by without worrying about ruining my hair.  I like that, in joking with a colleague about being like a kid heading off to kindergarten I can put my hair in pigtails and not give a shit what others say.  I like that I can get dressed for a night out and never have to reapply make up so I can just enjoy being out with friends.  I like that I can plan my outfit on the way home from gym and be ready to walk out the door in nine minutes (my current record if I don't wash my hair in the shower).  I like that I am not so attached to brand labels that I can happily pick up a top for $4.95.  

To be fair, I am fussy about lots of things.  I will not settle for just any toilet paper; I have specific requirements for tissues too.  In fact, I have expensive tastes when it comes to many things (which is why I don't have a lot of things - I would prefer to go without something than to have an inferior product).  The reason I don't count this as being high maintenance, however, is that it has no bearing on my day to day life.  And I would never impose that on someone else.  I would never ask anyone to get me a yellow diamond, for example.  But I would buy one for myself in a heartbeat if I had the money.