I don’t really talk about myself often in this blog, and well, that is just the kind of person I am. While my coworkers would attest that I’m more than ‘just a little talkative,’ when it comes to cyberspace, the less the public knows the better. No offense but… while I don’t mind revealing some things, I am just not comfortable with strangers, or family, knowing every little detail about me. That is the kind of thing people should learn over time, or face to face, not all at once over the blanket of ones and zeroes. I guess what I am trying to say is that this post is a rarity, so cherish it!
I would also like to dedicate this post to my coworker Mark Beukema. I told him I would name drop him and here we are. We agree on very little, but somehow, we make our semi-homo-erotic relationship work.
Anyways, let’s begin…
5) Over-Aggressive Drunks
Now, I like the casual drink with friends as much as anyone else, but let’s be honest, some of us handle it better than others. I am not talking about a person whose hand occasionally slips and they are puking their brains out once in a while. They are harmless. I am talking about those who get drunk every weekend and it is almost guaranteed that they will push someone, punch someone, yell in someone’s face, get banned from a bar, or cause some other kind of trouble by the end of the night. You might laugh, and your other friends cheer you on, but it just makes me really uncomfortable. And you know what, I really don’t care if you feel sorry the next day.
It is a shame that these otherwise smart, funny, and really pleasant people change the moment they have a few to ‘loosen up’ at a local bar. Look, if you know you have a problem, maybe you should just put the drink down and stick to coffee or tea. At the very least, there will be less broken glasses by closing time.
4) People Who Cancel
Cancel plans on me, and you better have broken your collar bone. While this particular pet peeve has loosened up a bit over the years, it is still something that makes my blood boil. You see, to me, making plans with someone, no matter who it is, is a sacred bond, something that must be taken seriously. Why do I make such a big deal? Because I jump through hoops to avoid canceling plans while others will come up with the lamest excuse. What is worse is that despite saying ‘sorry,’ they don’t really feel that bad about it.
I clearly remember an incident that happened to me a few years ago when I was going to meet up a childhood friend. My car broke down the night before, but there was nothing I could do to fix at the time. Sure, I was bummed out, but didn’t see why this should affect my plans as I could just borrow my mom’s car. For some reason, it was proving more difficult than expected and I practically had to beg and promise to fill up the tank to get a hold of the keys.
So, I am out the door, and I drive no more than a block when I get a call.
“Hey, sorry but… (long pause) I have a headache.”
I’m usually very diplomatic about things like this, so you would never know it bothered me, but I was furious. Look, take one for the team and suck it up. It doesn’t matter if we are acquaintances, casual friends, best friends, family… whatever, I will try my best not to cancel plans unless absolutely necessary, and I kind of expect the same. Why? I often pass up other plans which, quite frankly, sometimes sound a lot more fun because I feel a sense of loyalty. It is a shame that others don’t feel the same.
3) Littering
Probably the single most destructive and avoidable thing people do, is litter. Nothing makes a place look more nasty than trash on the floor. You think it’s tagging on the walls or bland looking run-down buildings? Nope, it’s litter.
I really don’t understand why people do this. They finish up a snack and even though there are trash cans everywhere, they throw it on the floor! For heavens sake you even have pockets! Would it kill you to put it away until you DO find a bin?
What is worse is that you probably thought I was talking about children, and as much as I wish I was, adults litter more than their offspring. After all, who do you think they are learning this behavior from? You might not have even thought about it, but if you are a smoker, where do you throw out your finished bud? Most likely, on the floor, which gets washed up into the storm drains that lead directly into the ocean.
When I see someone litter, I have to restrain myself from yelling at them and publically shaming them. And I swear, if I hear another smoker complain about a beach not being clean enough, I’m going to lose my mind.
2) Celebrity Gossip
There are few things more boring and mind numbing than the personal and private lives of people who are privileged enough to make millions of dollars at their job. Don’t get me wrong, I have no doubt that Robert Downey Jr. works hard and I really enjoyed his role as Iron Man, but I have zero interest in what he does after he leaves the set. If I saw him on the street, I don’t think I would even acknowledge him… well he might get a wave.
To be fair, I have been known to enjoy, on very rare occasion, a ridiculous celebrity story that makes headlines. What I can’t stand however, is the interest in things like the “Royal Wedding” a few years back (which broke records on YouTube), which A-lister is dating who, or what stupid hair-cut Justin Bieber is sporting. It just blows my mind that anyone would invest time in personally knowing people who contribute to society a lot less than doctors, scientists, educators, or their own friends and family. Most of the time when people bring up celebrities around me, my eyes involuntarily roll.
1) Wastefulness (especially food)
I already spoke pretty passionately about other things I dislike, but none come close to how much I disdain wastefulness.
Consider these statistics:
Statistic #1:
Up to 40% of all food that has been processed in the UK and the US is wasted every year.
(Now, put it in the context of)
Statistic #2
Approximately 870 million people are chronically undernourished in the world.
How is it possible that people could, in good consciousness, waste perfectly good food when 12% of our planet is going hungry?
Today, I threw away about half of my meal and still feel bad about it as I write this 8 hours later. Even though I can count the times I have done this over the last three years in a single hand, I still felt the need to confess. But, I see people throw out plates full of food in buffets and feel no personal responsibility whatsoever.
So there you have it internets. This is the kind of stuff that ticks me off. If you can promise to take a Guinness without punching someone, not cancel on me unless you are dying, throw your trash in a trash can, keep your opinions about Jennifer Aniston to yourself, and don’t throw out a perfectly good steak, I think we are going to be good friends.
Does anyone else have any silly pet-peeves? Share them on the comments below!
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