“7 THINGS – that make me disproportionately angry!”

This week’s “7 THINGS!”

This week’s “7 THINGS!”

I like to think I’m a calm person. I pride myself on rational thought and behaviour (most of the time). I’m (relatively) calm in a crisis, largely tolerant and have learned over the years to bite my lip – the best weapon sometimes in conflict avoidance. And yet, I can’t deny that it’s often the little things that can irk me beyond reason! Not my finest hour, but here are this week’s “7 THINGS…”

1.     FLIMSY CORNERS. Even picturing them gets me riled! You know the ones I mean – they lurk on the corner of vacuum-packed plastic wrapped food items. A wispy insubstantial little corner that you are supposed to grab and peel back to reveal; meat/cheese/whatever has been coated in ocean clogging, fish choking, toxic looking, food contaminating plastic! I can’t grip them; I can’t see them, and they usually don’t budge when I pull them. I then resort to grabbing a very sharp paring knife and stabbing repeatedly at said item as though it needs killing. I also hate the little foil tags on yoghurts pots, inside milk lids and on tubs of most kinds. They break, they are fiddly, and I can’t deal with them. And breathe…

2.     LITTERBUGS. I hate litterbugs. Hate is a strong word, but I HATE the dropping of litter. We live on a winding country lane that is chockfull of birds in hedgerows, hedgehogs under logs, foxes, hares and rabbits in the fields and verges (not at the same time obvs!) There are even deer gangs who strut their stuff in the mist of the early morn. And there is nothin more distressing than seeing the four-legged ones, tiptoeing around an abandoned burger box or chicken bucket – or worse, furry little meeces nesting in a milkshake cup. It seems that people think because they can’t be seen, and there’s no one around its okay to dump their refuse en route – IT’S NOT! Take it home. And don’t get me started on those who fling crisp packets and sweetie wrappers from their windows while on busy roads, or those who leave their rubbish on a beach or urban chewing gum splodgers! Gggrrrrrrr…

3.     SUPER FAST CASHIERS: You know the ones I’m talking about. Those who take great delight in whizzing your items through the beeper faster than you can possibly place them in the appropriate bag or gather them into your arms. I find they then like to stare at you as if they have won. They have finished and you are still flapping - Victoria sponge in one hand, bottle of Vim in the other, trying to figure out how to stop your Dairylea triangles tumbling from the checkout, while you grapple with the mountain that arrived far quicker than even a packing ninja could cope with. I feel the beginning of anger lap my senses, especially when I’m struggling, (I’m not the most dexterous or coordinated person) and then the people behind you in the queue start tutting, sighing, or rocking from foot to foot as if you are on strike and are deliberately causing the hold up – their irritation does nothing to aid my tension.

4.      THE DISRESPECT OF BOOKS: Splayed face down, corners of pages turned, using them as placemats…  if you are guilty of any of these: SHAME ON YOU! These are books people! Where were you raised? A zoo? The spine of a book is fragile, don’t crack it and leave the words and characters face down on a hard surface where they can’t breathe! Turning down the corners is… it’s…. Grrrrrrrrrrr! Don’t do it! And as for putting the base of a wet bottomed mug or cup on the tender cover – this makes me madder than I can express. And I’m usually quite good at expressing myself. Sweet Mother of Betsy, buy yourself a coaster!

5.     USING THE WORD “SO” TO START EVERY SENTENCE: When did this become a thing? It drives me utterly crackers! Just this morning I have observed several examples on TV: “Tell me about the dress?” “SO, it’s a…” “What’s the weather doing later?” “SO, we can expect…” “Do you have a recipe?” “SO, it’s one I’ve made before…” WHY? WHYYYYYYY??? Please stop it. There is no need to add a “SO.” Try it – you will be amazed to find that all your answers still work perfectly well without a bloody SO popped in front!

6.     LATENESS: I am almost never late. Never. Ever. Ever. I make it my concern to arrive early, sometimes awkwardly so, or I arrive on time. But I am never late. On the odd occasion when arrival time has been beyond my control – cancelled trains, cancelled flights, stuck taxis etc the mortification I feel at having possibly kept someone waiting is far greater than befits the crime. My grandad used to say, ‘why do some people think their time is more valuable than mine?’ and he was right! Time: the most precious, valued and longed for commodity – I think it should be used more considerately – I’m all about zero wastage!

7.     SPACE JUMPERS:  On busy roads/motorways when you leave a safe gap at least a couple of car lengths and someone in another lane, thinks, ‘ooh, that looks inviting!’ and they dive right in! What the hell people – I’ve left that gap for a reason! Now, NOW I must speed up, go around you, or worse slow down and hang back to try and create the same gap – and blow me down what happens then? Some other person jumps into the space! What is so alluring about the gap I’ve just left? Find your own but leave me with a safety buffer!

These are my “7 THINGS” do let me know yours.

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