In Air Force Basic, I got dressed slowly

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During my brief stint in the U.S. Air Force, I every day had to get dressed in my BDU (battle dress uniform) and I was very slow at doing so. At night, too, when I worked dorm guard. I was frequently yelled at for my slowness and yet I never could speed up. A BDU is a very complicated thing to wear and it felt like if I tried to go fast, I would lose my coordination. I did try to go fast, but it still wasn't fast enough. It seemed like I was prone to doing the steps out of order. It was a frustrating experience.

Anyone else have issues like this?

My husband has this issue, and it affects everything.

Part is anxiety.
Part is his crummy small motor skills.
Part is perfectionism.
Part is not so terrific executive functioning skills.

We had to mail a package. Went to the post office. He had to fill out some forms, and the clerk actually said, "While we're still young, man, while we're stll young."

I don't think he took longer than anyone else, but he moves so slow, and is more precise with his actions. Luckily, Fior didn't notice the comment or he would have melted down.

You are not alone.

You wouldn't have enjoyed the Royal Navy then, whilst today they cheat with a simple jip-up affair, back in my day the number 1 and 2 uniforms were a complex set of interlocking components that you couldn't even reach to do yourself, you had to help a friend and he would help you to do up the various straps and ribbons.

I was slow at folding the bed covers onto the corners of the bed just so, and slow at shining my boots. But I was good at the running and physical training, despite the footwear that did not fit -ouch.

I had a similar issue with dressing down for PE in junior high/middle school. I was always the last one to change into my gym uniform. My PE coach even threatened to fail me if I didn't learn to speed up. Part of it was because I had issues with learning left and right and so I had a ton of problems with my locker, but it was mostly because I take my time doing things. I even walk at a very slow pace!

When I was in reform school they had us live in one building and do school in another. New people there weren't allowed shoes indoors so I had to put my shoes on and take them off a lot. They would always get mad at how slow I was not realizing (and they wouldn't understand if they knew) that it was only in the past year and a half that I had started tying my own shoes.

In the mental hospital they yelled at me for making the bed too slow. Before being put in there I had never made a bed. Of course I was slow. I didn't know how. It's simple enough but it was new to me.

In gym I just flat out refused to change. When the teacher insisted I change I just started skipping gym and walking home. It was my last class of the day. I wasn't going to change in front of other people. I either didn't think to change in a stall (no one ever suggested it as far as I can remember) or didn't feel safe doing that.