Squish

I used to play around with my pencil during choir practices. I don't remember when it started, but one choir weekend they gave me a pencil with a string on it that I would keep winding around and playing with. In hindsight I can see how that could have been distracting but I still think the person telling me off for it was being a dick because I had no idea then and she didn't need to be so harsh about it. Anyway.
(At home I mostly use wooden clothespins I acquired years ago during a different choir summercamp, and sometimes rubber bands. At work I used to play with rubber bands and paperclips, until last Christmas my mom got me a new wooden clothespin with my Christmas present and now I use that all the time. And before I used anything I often absent-mindedly scratched myself when anxious so having stuff is better.)
Recently I got the idea of taking a stress ball to choir practices. One of the soft ones that's good for squishing. It's silent and works very well for when my fingers are fidgety (I use it very often, also because now that I have something that works that well I don't bother trying to ignore the urge, and presumably/unsurprisingly the more I play with something whenever my hands are empty the more I get used to it.) Several people have already brought it up to me, just "I noticed you have a stress ball, that seems smart, I have one at home too," and I'm a little baffled by it. I think they want to reassure me that it's fine? Which is nice, but I didn't even doubt that until people told me that it was.
Written while procrastinating and playing with a clothespin.