In Defense of the Exceptionally Ticklish

You know, it's really tough being SUPER ticklish.

I'm sure that many of you are somewhat ticklish. But this post is to my fellow over-the-top-ohmygosh-3rd-degree-ticklish people.

It sucks being that ticklish.

My first experience recently with a 90 minute full body massage will illustrate this point well.

Firstly, HUGE shout out to My Love for the rockin' Christmas present!

Second, I wanted a massage so so so bad. I've been meaning to go get one for a long long time. But apparently, I'm lazy. (Who's too lazy to schedule a massage appointment? That might be a discussion for another day...)

So here I was, my first ever real deal massage. (to clarify, J's given me lots of massages and I've had brief professional massages before. But never full body and never 90 minutes. Also, J's massages usually end with me being angry at him because he tickles me... which isn't his fault. But I digress.)

At the spa, this woman's handshake immediately had me thinking two things... 1. this is going to be a great massage. and 2. oh crap I just remembered how ticklish I am.

She's all like: you have to relax
And I'm all like: DUDE I'M TRYING. Maybe you could use the gentle palm of your hand right there instead of the weight of a thousand suns behind your thumb?
And she's all like: Well that muscle is very small I have to use my thumb. 

Oy vey.

It was comical to say the least.

I would like to remind all you non-believer's out there that being obnoxiously ticklish is NOT voluntary! For the love, do you think I'm TRYING to act like a fool and have a spazz attack at random moments during this massage? Do you think I'm HAPPY with my body right now?

NO. Stupid body. Cut. it. out.

Like, I can't even think about getting pedicures anymore... no one but me can touch my feet without me melting into a fit of giggle spasms. It's stressful man!

Now I definitely felt better after the massage. But I think my neck and shoulders are almost more relaxed after some deep yoga stretches than they are after being tickled to death at the spa. Which is kind of depressing, cause it means I have to hit the mat and not be a lazy bum instead of going to someone else to work out all that "I sit at the computer too much" tension. Boo.

On the bright side, yoga is cheaper.

Being this ticklish makes me lose my mind sometimes. I have been known to be laughing uproariously while simultaneously being so pissed that I have bitten my own husband. Who does that?

REALLY ticklish people, that's who. 

Want to learn more about tickling today?

     - Did you know there's such a thing as a "tickle researcher?" And that it seems none of them can really figure out WHY we laugh when we're being tortured with tickling.

     - There's suspicions that tickling might help children learn to protect the more vulnerable areas of their bodies... though the term "combat" is used in this post, which I think is odd ;-) I do think it's adorable that they say babies respond to tickling with laughter in the first few months of life and that's it's often the first form of communication between them and caregivers! Awwwww...

    - 12 Fun Facts about Tickling Though I would argue that knowing tickling has been used as an actual form of torture (to death?!?!? ) is NOT a fun fact. It's kind of disconcerting. Just saying. (like... how does one DIE of tickling? Do you have a heart attack? I'm stressing just contemplating this!)

    - And finally, a little bit more about what tickling teaches us and our young ones. Also, elephants tickle each other? Seriously?

So what do you think? Are you super ticklish, too? Do you just avoid massages or do you have some trick that I need to learn to get through 90 minutes?