You’d think this would be easy – but, not so much. In my old age, I’ve learned to let stuff go. I just don’t get all tweaked about things like I used to. It’s just not worth it. Life’s too short and I’m too blessed to get bent out of shape over things that really don’t matter.
But – this is a challenge, so here goes…
1. Lack of respect for others. It just crawls all over me when I see someone being disrespectful. I’m NOT talking about the current way the term “disrespect” is used by many young people. I mean real disrespect – lack of respect for your elders, not treating others as you’d like to be treated. Lack of respect for those who serve you in restaurants or those who are offering you customer service. Just because you are the customer does NOT give you the right to treat others as though they are “less than” you. Yes, respect must be earned, but there is a basic level of dignity that everyone deserves.
2. Lack of the ability to disagree respectfully and then let things go. What is it with people who think that just because they disagree, it is their God-given right/responsibility to argue the point til the last dog dies? State your opinion and then SHUT UP! I’ve found that you won’t change a person’s opinion by arguing so why try? Most people are firmly entrenched in their opinion, and why is it SO important that everyone believe just like you?
3. Lack of good manners. This covers SO much! People don’t teach manners anymore, and even worse – those of us who were taught don’t practice them as much as we should (including myself here). I’m not talking about using the correct fork. I’m talking about “please” and “thank you”; about common courtesy and writing thank-you notes. But I think the worst offense is the one person who wants to be the “manners police” in public. I was always taught that the most important thing about using your manners is making others feel welcome/good. Correcting someone else in public (feeling superior – goes back to #2) is the worst offense of all!
4. The current habit that people have of saying “no offense but”. Now think about that – they absolutely do want to offend you, or at least know that the possibility exists – or they wouldn’t preface the comment with that statement. So why on earth would you say something that you think might offend someone else? I submit it is to make yourself look better/funnier/smarter. It’s so you become the center of attention, the superior one. I think it’s become so common that people don’t even really think about it and how it makes the other person feel. The same can be said of, “no disrespect, but” – or pretty much anything said before the word “but”.
Wow – all of my pet peeves seem to revolve around the same thing…I’m pretty boring here.
5. This one may seem out of character, especially after reading the other 4 (but if you know me – you will recognize this one). Doodling on something other than paper especially designated for doodling. This includes, but is not limited to: my grocery list, my telephone call log, envelopes that letters/bills have come in, my grocery list, catalogs, my to-do list, my grocery list… Perhaps you get the picture here. Yes, I admit it – I have a problem…but DON’T DOODLE ON MY DAMN LISTS!!!
That’s all – I’m better now.
P.S. You too can bear your soul with the 30-day Challenge. Here’s the list of topics for the challenge: http://randomosityblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/30dayblogchallenge.jpg
Grammy JJ's Ponderings 
