What's Eating Me? I'll Tell You

Sometimes even the most optimistic of us wonder why life seems to be dealing off the bottom of the deck to us. We plan our day only to have these little irritations grind on us until we finally blow. I decided to make a little list of some of my pet peeves.

The Nonchalant Person in the Checkout Line. You're behind someone in line at a grocery store who has bought a cart full of groceries, each one scanned individually. The person in front of you is talking on a cell phone, glancing around at people coming in and out of the store or just staring off into space like they're pondering the mystery of life. The cashier turns to the person with the amount due, and then and only then does the person begin to dig through their purse or pocket for payment. My favorite is the person writing a check who has not begun to write out the check, but must first borrow a pen.

The Cell Phone Chatter at a Stop Light. Let's face it, some people can't chew gum and walk at the same time, so what makes them think they can concentrate on a cell phone conversation and still grasp the flow of traffic. You've been there. The light turns green, and they're texting that important message to a counterpart or discussing important strategies on how to save the planet. It makes you wonder how people survived when they couldn't keep track of each other on a minute-by-minute basis.

The McDonald's Menu Reader. This happens inside and in the drive-through window. McDonald's rarely changes their menu items, but inevitably, someone who has planned to come to McDonald's for lunch or breakfast will stop and read the same items they've looked at dozens of times before. Come on, people, you drove all the way here. Try to plan ahead a little.

The I'm Right and You're Wrong Person.Some people must always be right no matter how trivial the subject. They will use whatever means to convince you they are right and you are not. If that means raising their voice, then they'll begin to shout. If it means repeating the same thing over and over, they'll gladly do that. And even more frustrating, they must know that you truly believe they're right. You can't just say you agree. It's like they want a blood oath.

Getting Invitations in the Mail to an Event the Next Day. I especially love this one when there's a present involved. It makes me wonder if people think my life's so dull that I'm just waiting for something to come along, or do I just rate that highly on their list.

People Who Can't Watch an Entire Television Program. A television remote control is a very powerful instrument. I've seen people I would consider normal when given this control become obsessive and compulsive about changing the channels. Now, I can understand eliminating commercials, but there is nothing more frustrating than returning to the program you're watching only to realize that you've missed five or ten minutes each time. The interesting thing to me is that the person holding the remote never seems to realize it. And, of course, it's also different if the remote is in my hand.

Business Employees Who Act Like You Don't Exist. We've all been there. You're sitting in a restaurant or looking around for store personnel, and the people act like you're suddenly invisible. You see your waiter propped up somewhere close by visiting with friends or co-workers. Or maybe you need something from the top shelf in a department store, and when you ask someone in the next aisle, they tell you that's not their department. I have discovered a solution for that, though. Most wait people now love to tell you their names, so I warn them quickly that I will scream that name out in the restaurant if I need something. Funny how that seems to get me a lot of attention, and usually you don't have to do it but once or twice.

People with Bad Behavior in Movie Theaters. You buy your ticket, sit in the movie theater, and watch the commercials and information coming on the screen about turning your cell phone off for everyone's comfort. The movie comes on and you know it, somebody starts talking on their cell phone. Or even worse, they start giving their opinion about everything in the move to the person sitting beside them. It makes you want to throw your popcorn at them, except that you paid very good money for that, too.

Little Personal Irritations Just In General. There are my own little frustrations that I've developed as I get older.

Sometimes I walk into a room to retrieve something only to find that I can't remember what it was. The minute I walk back, I realize what the item was and have to return.

Another is meeting people on the street that remember me but I have no idea who they are. The worst is when the conversation goes on for so long that I'm embarrassed to ask.

One of my favorites is monsoon-type rain starts just as you're headed out of the supermarket with a basket full of groceries, and of course, you're parked on the other side of the parking lot.

Fortunately, we realize that our lives are going to be filled with these irritations, so we learn how to laugh at ourselves, but sometimes it is tempting to scream at the top of our lungs in the car. So next time you get in your car and some bozo has left the radio blaring in your eardrums, take that as an opportunity to vent some of your hostility. Don't worry what people think. Just tell them you're listening to heavy metal.