The Older I Get...

 The older I get the more annoyed by people I become. Like really annoyed. Like I need to move to a log cabin in the remote woods of Vermont because I cannot stand ridiculous people, and am one day going to explode on some unsuspecting victim because he/she/they have annoyed me so much. I keep waiting for wisdom to bring me to this zen like state of mind that never goes away, but it hasn't happened yet, and I don't think it is coming. In fact, the older I get it seems that I am moving away from the possibility of acquiring the zen like state that I am seeking because situations/people that once did not annoy me, now annoy me. My whole 'live and let live' thing that I am trying to strive for gets thrown out of the window more often than I would like to admit these days. I often think I am just as bad as the offenders that annoy me because my judgement back at them is just as bad as their judgement of the situations that I am annoyed with to begin with. (Does sentence even make any sense?!)

So, what has gotten me so annoyed?  Closed minded people and situations. I am so tired of huffed up people preaching this and that. (Because I don't know anything about preachy huffed up people - said the crazy lady whose blogs are filled with preachy huffed up horse poop.) I don't mind opposing opinions - in fact I like them because they make me think about my opinions and how sound they are. Most of the time I stick with how I am feeling about a particular situation, but sometimes someone presents something in an adult, well thought out, open minded way, and causes me to alter the way I think about said topic. An example of opposing opinion situations that do not annoy me is my post on being gay (See here.). I am not going to change my mind about how I feel about someone who is gay, but I found an opposing view (See here.) that I thought was well written, and I understood where this woman was coming from in her own life. I don't agree with her opinion, and I know that she does not agree with mine, but we were two adults able to express our opinions without attacking anyone or being ridiculous. So often I find, especially as I get older, that people feel the need to be so righteous and so obtuse about their views that it annoys me to no end. You don't have to change your mind about how you feel about an issue, just as I don't have to change mine, but let's have an open conversation about things and hear each other out.

The world would be so boring if everyone thought the way that I did, and I know that. I like differences of opinions, really I do. In fact, there are many things in my life that I haven't yet formed an opinion on that I need to hear opposing thoughts to create my own web of ideas on how I feel about certain things. I just don't like closed up, sealed tight, puckered up minds where nothing can change and nothing different or new can get in. It drives me crazy. (But I am sure you can already tell that.)

I am afraid that I am going to be that old lady that loses her filter as she ages and just shouts out everything that is on her mind. Lord, help us all if that happens. For now, I will just be that young/old lady who seethes at annoying situations and annoying people, writes about it on her blog, and then goes about her busy life in a state of contentment and bliss, only to repeat the cycle over and over again.

I am going to become that filterless old lady sooner than I would like if I don't find someway to deal with these situations - oh, wait, I know! I will just move to the woods in a log cabin - either that or write a blog about it....

Happy Evening, Everyone!