Five Pet Peeves

Boy, it sure has been a long time since I got on here to write. For those interested, I had a lovely 7 week break with my mother, stepfather and siblings in PA. Now, it's back with nose to the grindstone for fall semester...starting tomorrow. However, I have decided that I will commit to a blog every Sunday. For now, I will still be sticking with challenges, which brings us to....pet peeves, ta da!


Pet peeves are an interesting concept. An old acquaintance of mine pointed out the other day that pet peeves are literally being described as our cherished annoyances. As I do not cherish the idea of being annoyed, I will be listing these pet peeves of mine in order from least annoyance to most annoyance and not least cherished to most cherished.


5. Being a walking, talking mess.
Okay, so this is the lesser of my pet peeves but it is still in the top 5 because...well, let's just say that my friends have diagnosed me (jokingly) as having OCD...including a friend who probably really does have OCD. I can't stand messes. I can't stand disorder. I am the organizing queen, and if somehow I have let my apartment go without a good cleaning for too long, I just won't go home until it's livable again (luckily, I have a very nice husband who picks up my slack). However, at the uppermost pinpoint of this pet peeve are people who come into my clean or organized space and make a mess out of it. It's bad enough when I'm the one to blame...you see, I'm not very nice to myself if my DVDs aren't ordered by genre or if the couch doesn't smell like flowers. Therefore, it is very hard to remain calm when I find the after remnants of a guest to be pluckings from my feather pillows, trash not in the trash can, etc. It's not to say that to be a guest in my home you have to be like me. Of course not. If the whole world were like me, there would be ZERO messes...and messes can be turned into things like art. It's just that I would love for you to use a coaster and remove your shoes. In all seriousness, even if you leave rings on my furniture or break something, I still love you. I just may need to go to my happy place for a while. Ah, the mind vacations I take to the Bahamas.

4. Being so cheap that you either end up a mooch or a recluse.So, I have this thing where I like to organize get togethers and parties. For those of you who have seen the hit sitcom Friends, my lovely buddies call me "the Monica." I am all about Pinterest, and movie nights, and organized events. I am all about Friendsgiving, White Elephant Christmas parties, and ringing the New Year in with streamers, confetti, and kisses. In order to fulfill my craving for a good, well-organized time so frequently, I usually ask people to chip in with food or monetary contributions. We like to go Dutch when we go out with our friends, etcetera etcetera. What gets under my collar here is when someone will specifically not go out or join the party because they don't want to contribute. Now, myself and a lot of my friends are college students so I'm not talking about those hard times we all have between paychecks where we can't contribute. I always back my friends in those situations if I can, and they do the same for me. I'm talking about having the money and wanting to go, but not wanting to spend your money. Everyone likes to treat each other now and again, including me. However, this is not the automatic norm and friends should not expect other friends to foot all their social bills. Neither should family members. Or freaky vampires that sparkle. Okay, even I don't know where that last one came from. It's 3:54 in the morning and I'm still at work so....yeah.

3. Entitlement.Now, when I use the word entitlement, I'm not talking about money again. I'm talking about time, resources, faith, kindness, and the list goes on and on. One of the biggest things that irks me is when people just feel that the world owes them everything. I was raised to work hard for what I wanted, and if I wanted nice things, I had better ensure that I was successful. I was raised to volunteer, network and not find myself above anybody else, any job, etc. The world owes us nothing. We owe the world. God owes us nothing, but has given us everything. We owe God...we owe Him service, love, and so much more. Please do not be the kind of person who throws fits to get your way. Please do not be the kind of person who curses their family, friends or Heavenly Father because something didn't quite go down the path you wanted it to. Instead, cherish each trial as a lesson to become a better person. See hard work and diligence as ways to truly earn what you want and what you have. Don't take the easy road out. Don't let everyone else do it for you. Take accountability. Don't take a pill to lose weight and put all your faith into some money-back guarantee. Work for yourself by eating healthily, engaging in fitness activities, and treating your body better. Don't waste all your money on things you don't need and then just hope that you can borrow the money to pay your rent or car insurance. Use a budget and save. You are worth the investment.

2. Being fake.I feel like this goes without saying. Doesn't everyone have a pet peeve about things or people not being what they pretend to be? Just be who you are, okay? The right people will love you, no matter what flaws you think you have. Nobody is perfect. Doesn't everyone dislike when someone plays nice to your face but goes behind your back in attempts to destroy you? If you have a problem with someone, tell them. Work it out. In the end, revenge or spite will only lead to sorrow. Choose not to let gossip and hateful feelings control you. Instead, choose to spread amity. Choose to be an example of integrity. Choose to be real and honest, no matter how raw that reality may be.


1. Lack of etiquette, manners or just plain kindness.

Okay, so the number 1 thing that gets under my skin is this. Don't be rude just to be rude. Say please, thank you, and you're welcome. RSVP to a party when the invitation asks you to. Use R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Taking the time to use etiquette, manners, and kindness shows that you value your relationship with that person...whether it be a friendship, a marriage, a family relation, or a professional relationship. Failing to do so leads to the opposite, in which the other person feels underappreciated, ignored or not worth your time.




Okay, phew. That was a lot of negativity. I would like to end on a positive note. "Don't get discouraged. Things WILL work out."- Gordon B. Hinckley. No matter what, my husband always tells me "everything is going to be okay" and you know what? In one way or another, he's right. You will go on to another day, so why not fill that day with kindness, honesty, love, and respect?