Wednesday, January 03, 2007

Wait Your Turn

I am the type of person that worries. I'm also the type that gets irritated at other people whom really have very little impact on my life. I do realize that this is really quite silly and adds a touch of self-destruction to my life because really it is worth upsetting myself over such insignificant actions as someone cutting someone else off or someone not using their turn signal? Really it's not worth it.

About 7 years ago I came to a realization that my irritation at drivers was sooo not worth taking that anger home, and therefore so not worth starting in the first place. I kind of came to peace with idiot drivers, and that people are people and they make mistakes. Of course I still want them to realize they make mistakes so I'm still working on my irritation of drivers that are clueless to how their actions effect others.

In general, I am hyper sensitive to how my actions effect others. So I therefore expect others to do the same. Maybe I need to work on the hyper part of my sensitivity, but really, it is so much to ask that if there is an obvious line waiting to get onto the train, and people coming off, and everyone in the LINE is stepping back and allowing these nice people to get off the train, must you, the ever important man with the acid washed 80's Levi Jean Jacket and very short crew cut, push your way passed the LINE and upset the outgoing passengers so you can stand in the train? You didn't even try to get a seat. You just stood there, now blocking those in the LINE calmly walking onto the train.

You see? Sure he was the rock the the middle of the stream that disturbed the glass like surface, but really was it so much of a disturbance that I aught to notice? And then secretly laugh inside my head when the train was delayed due to "Police action" at a station down the line, and he obviously was bothered by his day being disturbed so he paced for a few minutes and then stomped off the train in a huff? (tee hee) And then here I am, I've made it to the office, 1/2 an hour late yet I still have the images and my feelings of irritation fresh on my fingertips.

Why should I care?
Why does my mind see these things, and then hold onto them?

Perhaps my mother scolded me often as a child to not cut in line. Or to watch out for people around me as I spun around in circles, singing aloud in the middle of the aisle of the grocery store. Whatever it was that caused my sensitivity to the effects and feelings of those around me, I'm sure my mother had something to do with it. It always comes down to the parents.

7 comments:

ML said...

Ahhh, you've addressed one of my issues. I am very sensitive at how oblivious, ill-mannered, and selfish people are. They think the whole world revolves them and couldn't care less about other people.

But, how do you actually get over that? Being super sensitive, behavior like that hits us to the core. How do we become oblivious?

J said...

I hope there's an in-between space, where you're not oblivious, but also don't let it affect you so deeply. That's what I TRY for, sometimes with success, sometimes not so much. Kinda depends on other aspects of my life, I think...if I'm generally stressed out, then these things get to me more. If I'm generally not so stressed, I'm more able to let them roll off of my back. But I always notice, and I don't want to change that, because if I did, I might start DOING those things as well...

Anonymous said...

Can I pile on and bitch about people just walking in front of cars without looking? It happens at the grocery store quite a bit, and it really bugs me.

Cherry said...

Py - oh yes. What about those people that walk down the middle of the parking lot aisle, or kinda swerve back and forth as they look for their car. Geniuses I tell you!

Tracy said...

Hi Cherry! This comment is totally off topic. I just wanted to say that your photos on the sidebar are LOVELY! Wow! I didn't realize what a gifted photographer you are! I love the one of the colorful Christmas lights. `

Gina said...

I am exactly the same way. It bugs the heck out of Hubba-hubba, who has a more laissez-faire attitude toward people's behavior.

My mom is/was very critical, so I wonder if it has anything to do with that. Yeah, that's it...

Beenzzz said...

I'm not very keen on rude and oblivious people. I wan't to slap them on a regular basis. I try to let it go though. Some days are harder than others, and PMS time is even worse!