I know that I'm a bit easily irritated these days. Irritable, I guess you could say I am. Far too much of the time.
So let me drone on about one source of irritation: people who are pushy about the things they like. I keep encountering this with folks and they never seem to realize how childish and, to overuse the phrase, irritating it is (yes, I know, someone get me a thesaurus).
It can be try this food, you HAVE to eat one of these cookies I baked, you MUST try this restaurant or that drink, WATCH this video, LISTEN to this song, TRY this drug. Not, "Hey, here's this thing I really love, I think you'd really like it, might want to give it a try." That leaves it open for me to say, thanks for the suggestion, we'll see. And not feel like an asshole for saying, maybe I will, maybe I won't. Because you say something like that to pushy people and they actually seem to get offended that you aren't going to Try The Thing that very moment.
Listen, call me a grumpy old lady, but I'm almost 46 and I have a pretty good idea of the kinds of things I enjoy. I also lost my both of my parents young, so I'm constantly aware that I might have precious little time left on this earth (and yeah, I might live to 100 too, but genetics are not on my side). So if your thing does not sound appealing to me, I probably won't try it - I'd rather use what time I have left choosing the things I know I'll enjoy. Don't be offended by this - it has nothing to do with you or your worthiness as a human being. It has everything to do with me being an autonomous individual with her own preferences and aversions.
We all like and dislike different things and that is what makes this world interesting. You're not crazy because you don't like pickles with peanut butter and I'm not crazy because I do. I have no desire to do math for fun or slide down a cold snow covered mountain, but more power to those who do.
Just don't tell me I have to do it. BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO.
