By Joe Rector
She arrived after several other customers on that Sunday. The vet’s office didn’t open until 5:00 p.m., and all of us were there to pick up our pets. This young woman jumped out of her car, and as soon as the door opened, she rushed to the counter without any regard to others who had beaten her there.
As my family will testify, some things push my buttons to the point that my temper gets the best of me. It’s not something about which I’m proud; it just the plain truth. Maybe others can identify with me on some of the issues.
I hate stacked up messes. For a while I can tolerate them, but eventually, piles of junk all over the place get my goat. That’s when the cleaning binge hits. With enough energy to tidy up the largest of houses, I tackled “stuff” and decide which items survive and which ones end up in the trash. I could blame my aversion to clutter to an OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder), but that’s not quite true. After a place is straightened up and junk is purged, I allow a new round of piling up to begin. The real truth is that I flip over other people’s messes, not mine. Yeah, I know that’s being a jerk.
Another thing that bugs me is lying. I try my best to tell the truth at all times. In times past, I’ve colored the facts to lessen the punishment that was to come from my parents, but as the years have passed, lying takes too much effort and energy. Besides, I’ve never been able to keep a story sprinkled with lies straight. The result is that I blow a fuse when others lie to me. Even if that truth stings my ego or causes a loss, I’d rather have it than a bunch of bull. At some point, the truth comes out.
Rude drivers are another thing I detest. Most of us obey the rules of the road and manage to reach our destinations. However, some inconsiderate individuals think they don’t have to abide by the same standards because they are special or more important. The prime example of this is when an accident on the highway causes traffic to funnel into one lane. Many motorists race to scene of the wreck and then jam themselves into the front of others who have patiently waited their turns. It’s the same as people who cut line at the grocery store or other business. When they do jump in front, these folks act as if nothing has happened and take offense when I call them out and ask them to go to the end of the line.
The thing that infuriates me most is tardiness. I’ve always been prompt; in fact, I arrive early at every event that I attend. It gives me time to take care of any unexpected problems. Now, many persons feel that it is perfectly acceptable to be tardy. Some say it’s being “fashionably late.” Others declare that arriving a few minutes past the deadline is no big deal since things never start on time. I beg to differ. Nothing boils my blood like having people climb over me to a seat after a movie or game has started. If I can be early, don’t I have the right to expect others to simply be on time?
Becoming hostile over things that vex me isn’t an admirable trait. It is, however, the way I’m wired. Friends tell me to relax and not allow such things to set me off. I counter that others should be aware and thoughtful enough not to do things that cause a problem. I’d like to ask them,
“Did your parents teach you to be so rude and inconsiderate of others’ feelings?”
Yep, such a comment might just lead to physical injury, either mine or someone else’s.
