Friday 28 March 2014

Things not worth getting worked up about

There's an awful lot of "outrage", "disgust" and general ranting on social media these days. I'm often part of that, commenting on this and that article, giving my views and "respectfully disagreeing" with other commenters.

Every so often I stop myself mid comment, think "Who really cares what I think?" or "Am I really bothered enough to add my piece?" and delete the whole thing.

I'm not going to go off on a rant about ranting, but what I am going to do is - be less bothered by various things. Like -

- people taking selfies all the time. (Why?) I'm not going to judge, I'm just going to click away or scroll down and leave them to it.

- Ditto, people who photograph every meal they devour. (Why?) This might just be their passion so I'll just keep scrolling.

- awful drivers. There are a lot of them in my neck of the woods; you know, those "special people" who can apparently still use their cell phone while driving, even though it's illegal for the rest of us. The people who honk at you when you're obeying all the rules and generally being a saint behind the wheel. My default reaction  to these drivers is to somehow show them that they are in the wrong, not me. Or to "give them a piece of my mind" by honking back at them (not very often) and generally vindicate myself. But you know what - I couldn't care less what they think of me so I'm just going to let it wash over me. I might even smile and wave!

- commenters who, devoid of anything else to say, pick apart my sentence construction or point to the one single exception to a generalization I've made. This type can really get under my skin, but again, life's too short. I've decided they are small minded people with little other satisfaction in their lives so let them have their fun.


- people pretending they have a fabulous life but in reality, you know they don't. I don't know why this has grating potential, but really, it's a bit sad. I personally don't understand the need to post photos of "fun times" when all you're really doing is the weekly shopping but hey - it doesn't harm me so I'll just keep my nose out.

What I will allow to annoy me however, are neighbors who chain not one but THREE bicycles to my front garden railings when they have perfectly good railings of their own. It has been going on since last summer. No one asked my permission, and at first (when it was just one bike) I felt a bit churlish even getting annoyed about it. I mean, it wasn't doing any harm really. But now I have three of them, right outside my house. Now that spring is supposed to be coming, I'll be doing a bit of garden clean up and then planting. I can't even reach part of it because of these bikes.

I will have to leave a note on each bike as I don't even know who they belong to. Any suggestions? I don't want to start a neighbor war, but really......

10 comments:

  1. Two suggestions re the thoughtless neighbour's bikes:

    1. bolt cutters
    2. steam roller

    You get the picture.
    They will too.

    LCM x

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  3. LCM - yes, I've thought of bolt cutters. I'll start with a polite note and see what happens.

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  4. Have you got something you could chain to their railings - a lawnmower or something of that ilk - but as I type this sentence I am just thinking, wait isn't that how wars start? Our next door neighbours have 3 adult children living at home so we have 5 cars parked outside and I have to consciously rearrange my face into non grumpy lines when I can't get a park outside my house.
    Cx

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  5. I need to learn how to let things wash over me...because some of that stuff just steams me!

    Yes, I'd start with a note before escalating it.

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  6. Unreal. Why don't they chain them to their own fence? What a nerve. Try a sign or something, maybe?

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  7. Yes, was about to do a par on the Kimmy cover, then thought I really don't care who's on the cover, they've never pretended to do heart surgeons

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  8. Oh yes!! I don't understand the selfies either, and while one or two might be ok some people take loads and seem to think we all want to see them! Nooooo!

    And the bikes - put the notes on them saying 'possession is nine tenths of the law' and give them a date to move them or you take possession.

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  9. Well I'm glad everyone agrees that the bike situation is taking the mick somewhat. At first I thought "What can I say without sounding really mean" but now that three of them are usually out there - and, get this, their landlady owns the three buildings next to me and has 75 linear feet of railings - I think I will have to take a stand.
    Now all I how to decide is whether to err on the funny side or plain annoyed. Or somewhere in between, if I could find it.

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  10. I'd go with the funny side at first. Hopefully, they won't blow you off as the cranky old lady next door.

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