It's the Little Things...

Pet Peeve

Today's post is a sort of a variation of Things on Tuesday - I was all set to write a post about pet peeves, and then I realized that I really didn't want to put only negative things like pet peeves in a post, so I decided to counter-balance it by including some of the opposites of pet peeves (what would that be called?  Pet likes?  Warm fuzzies?  Simple pleasures?)  So here's an even 10 of each:

Pet Peeves of Mine

1. The phrase "pet peeves".  Why not "things that bother the hell out of you"?  More descriptive and more fun to say.
2. People that don't use their turn signals when driving.  Changing lanes, turning, pulling off to the side of the road, etc.  Yes, I'm looking at you. (No, not you, the driver of the car next to you).
3. People that use their cell phones during a movie.  Now, more and more, I see a glowing device pop up as someone checks a text and then types something back to their friend.  CLOSE THE DAMN PHONE AND WATCH THE DAMN MOVIE!
4. People who unabashedly and/or cluelessly stand in the way of a main pedestrian traffic route (e.g. in front of a main entrance to a building, in front of the entrance to an elevator, etc).
5. The way my local modern rock radio station has a stupid talk show in the morning on the way to work and an even more stupid one on the way home from work.  If they played some damn music, I might be willing to put up with some commercials, but since they don't, they don't get my ears.
   
6. People who don't return their shopping carts to the cart corrals in parking lots.
   
7. People who talk on cell phones while driving (and thus usually are driving 10 miles per hour slower than everyone else, or are weaving between lanes).
8. People who litter (any kind of trash, but especially cigarette butts).
9. The way television shows now break for 2 minutes of commercials after every 4-5 minutes of airtime.
10. People who talk on speakerphone at the office when they have no good reason for doing so.

Simple Pleasures of Mine (Opposite of Pet Peeves)

1. People who hold doors open for you.
2. People who give you a smile or a wave without any prompting.
3. People that table a discussion in a meeting/group when it's obvious the subject isn't going anywhere.
4. Coworkers who inquire about your day/family/well-being and are really interested in the answer.
5. People that compliment others around them on the little things.
6. People that keep their commitments, or at least warn ahead of time if they can't.
7. People that introduce themselves to others when it appears the others may be too shy to start up the introductions themselves.
8. People who share their creativity with others.
9. People that share their sense of humor with others.
10. People who give generously and expect nothing in return.

I was afraid my second list wouldn't be as strong as the first, but looking back on them, I realize that each of the things on the second list makes me feel good for much longer than things on the first list make me feel bad, so I think I got it right here.

How about you?  What are your pet peeves?  What are the simple pleasures you enjoy in the behaviors of others that offset them?

NaBloPoMo 2008!

[NaBloPoMo 2008 - #11/30]