PET PEEVES

Irritation.

Defined as this: the state of feeling impatient, annoyed, or angry.

Oh yes.

Ever just feel downright irritated at life…and people?

Just *bugged to death* by frustrations and aggravations?

Yeah, me too.

So, just for fun I thought I'd list some of my pet peeves, some of the things that irritate me the most:


1) Stickers on something

You know, the stickers that won't come off.

Oh sure, they fool you into thinking that they're going to come right off.  They do this by letting you easily pry up one little corner.  You start peeling, ever-so-slowly, only to end up pulling the top layer off, leaving a paper trail of the worst kind.

Sure, then you try using your fingernails.

That only succeeds in getting little bits of paper and adhesive stuck under your nails.

The next step is using a little soap and water (which, incidentally, cannot be used on a book cover, which leads to more aggravation).

Sometimes you can be successful with removing the paper, leaving only a gluey, sticky residue.

At this point I usually try the *sticky loves sticky* method of removal.  This entails rolling up a piece of tape and repeatedly pressing it against the residue. I have found that doing this slowly, applying pressure and then peeling the tape back, yields better results than quick jabs.

If none of these methods work, I usually resort to using Goo Gone – a pleasant orange-smelling oil that usually does the trick.  Of course, then you have to clean up the Goo Gone, another pet peeve.


2) Perforations on bills

OK, so you get the bills that have no perforation to aid in easily removing the payment stub they expect you to send in with your payment.  This is irritating enough, as you must dig out the scissors and do the work yourself.

As if paying the bill wasn't irritating enough.

Or, and this arguably bugs me even more, the perforation does NOT match up with the fold.  Most often the difference is about a millionth of an inch.  But that is enough to make a real mess.

I like a clean edge.

And with this perforation/fold disparity, it becomes next to impossible.

I've tried to do the fold one way, fold another way method of making the perforation more "tearable" – (which is a terrible waste of time).

Even so, most of the time I end up with a ragged edge…

…which I trim with scissors.


3) Tamper-proof seals on containers

You know the ones.

The ones that you have to fiddle with to even try to find a starting point to peel – (without tearing off a fingernail in the process).  Of course, if this is successful, you never, ever get the whole thing off in one piece.

There have been times when I've gotten so frustrated that I just pierced the top with a sharp object – (probably the scissors that I have just used on my bills).  Of course, then you have to fish the little flap out.

Don't get me started on the pinch-and-twist caps.

Or the cotton inside.


4) Exploding things 

Let me qualify this.

"The Hub" and I live in the mountains at 6300 feet elevation.

So, whenever we buy groceries *down-the-hill* and trek them back up the hill, there's a certain amount of pressure that builds up inside the containers.

Evidently, things expand above sea level.

Suffice it to say that on more than one occasion I have been baptized with yogurt.

Or splattered with soup.

Or celebrated with potato chip confetti.

(To be fair, though, the potato chip thing could be a result of sealed margins that don't separate easily – ie, potato chips, crackers, cereal – another pet peeve of mine – grrr…)


5) Slow drivers in the fast lane

No need for a lot of explanation here.  I'll make it simple…

MOVE. OVER.


6) Bike riders who don't obey the rules

Maybe I'm just a bit bitter about bikes in general after my fall a couple of weeks ago?!

But when I go visit my family, down in the *city*, bike riders are often the worst rule-breakers around!

They don't stop at stop signs, they don't signal their intentions, they cut in front of you, they zip around in their spandex like the road belongs to them.

Not all bike riders are like this.

So I'm just peeved at the offenders.


7) People who cut into line

I. CANNOT. STAND. THIS.

The only times I can remember almost getting into a literal fist fight is when people have cut in line.  In front of my kids.  Especially at amusement parks.

'Nuff said.


8) Impolite texting behavior

Two things:

One, leaving a texting conversation in the middle of the conversation.

So, you're in the middle of a conversation and all of a sudden the person disappears.  And maybe you don't hear a reply text until two hours later. Which leaves me with the whole paranoia thought that I might have said something to offend them?

Like LOL??

Two, people who text you a question and then when you start to fashion a reply, you see the little dots signifying that they're writing you another text.

Honestly, give me time to reply!!

Or, the worst is a combination of the two – they text a question and then disappear from the conversation.

Know what I mean?

I just think that it is so


9) Bending book covers or dog-earing pages

Books are hallowed to me.

I can maybe forgive you mishandling your books, but don't mess with mine!

I almost lost a friendship when I loaned a paperback to a friend, which was returned looking like it had been run over by a truck.  I asked them to buy me a new book.

Feud ensued.


10) People who can't spell my name

Even when I spell it for them.

I'm not going to name names (*$’s), but I have told them my name and spelled it, and they still get it wrong.

Is it that old-fashioned?

Or is it that we live in a culture where people spell names so weird that we don't know what to do?

I've seen Sheran, Sharron, Cheran, Sherin, Shannon – once I got frustrated and told them my name was Cindy – (which they spelled Cyndi).  I'm tempted to tell them my name is "X"…

Ex, Exx, Ecks???


These are just a few of my pet peeves.

Life is full of exasperation – situations and people that endlessly irritate, frustrate, and aggravate us.

But how we react to it is up to us.

We can let the enemy distract us, tempting us into a complaining, negative attitude, steering us into anger and bitterness.

Or we can let the Lord teach us about longsuffering.


Many people think that longsuffering means "suffering long."

But the word longsuffering in the Bible is the Greek word "makrothymía" – and comes from the two words "makrós" meaning "long," and "thymos" meaning "passion, anger."  It can properly be translated "long-passion" – i.e. waiting sufficient time before expressing anger.

To be longsuffering is to have self-restraint.  To be longsuffering means not immediately retaliating or punishing.  

God is the source of longsuffering because it is part of His character.

He is patient with sinners, patient with our failings, patient with our weaknesses.

And when we become His followers, we must follow His example.

How might our lives be affected if longsuffering was exhibited in our attitudes, our words, our actions?

How might our relationships change – with family, friends, at home, at work, at church?

Our human self-nature can be so easily peeved, so very short-fused.

We are quick to get irritated, frustrated, aggravated.

So very quick to strike out with unkind words and unforgiving attitudes.

But, when we stop and think about how longsuffering God is with us – well, do we really have any right to be any less longsuffering with others?

No, friends, we do not.


There are always going to be things that really bug me – my pet peeves will always test my patience and drive me to distraction.

But with the help of the Holy Spirit, I'm going to try to look at them differently.

Not as interruptions and disruptions, but as learning moments.

Moments when I can step into the character of God Himself…



What's one of your pet peeves?

Easy peasy?

Yeah, right...

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience (makrothymía), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…" 
(Galatians 5:22-23, ESV)

"And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, 'The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin…'" (Exodus 34:6-7, KJV)

"The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression…" (Numbers 14:18, KJV)

"But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth." (Psalm 86:15, KJV)

"Don't you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you?  Can't you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?" (Romans 2:4, NLT)

"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation…" 
(2 Peter 3:15, KJV)

"The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9, Berean Study Bible)

"…for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:16, NASB)

"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." 
(Colossians 3:12, NIV)

"May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy…" (Colossians 1:11, ESV) 

"We prove ourselves by our purity, our understanding, our patience, our kindness, by the Holy Spirit within us, and by our sincere love." 
(2 Corinthians 6:6, NLT)

"Always be humble and gentle.  Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." (Ephesians 4:2, NLT)

"And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone." (1 Thessalonians 5:14, NIV)




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