A Random List of Things That Get My Highly-Sensitive 'Spidey-Senses' Tingling
AND WHY (BTW, A FEW STRONG OPINIONS MAY BE EXPRESSED)
As a highly-sensitive person, I have a list of things that annoy the crap out of me, and how lucky are you that you get to hear about them? (#rhetoricalquestion)
They include, in no particular order, and are not limited to, the following:
Clothing tags - I’ll only buy and wear tagless shirts. Period.
Big trucks - unless the guy (it’s always a guy, right?) is pulling a horse trailer or a big-ass piece of equipment, they’re compensating for something.
Rubber scrota - (yes, it’s the plural form of ‘scrotum’) You know, you’ve seen these ghastly effigies hanging from the tow apparatus under the back of the same big trucks mentioned above; I have no idea what kind of social statement a rubber scrotum is making.
Crew neck anything - they feel too restrictive, so I own 12 identical black v-neck back short sleeve t-shirts from Old Navy and rarely wear anything else.. well…I mean, I do wear pants. 😉
Bright lights - especially fluorescent light tubes, and it’s why there are none in my home and why dimmer switches are in the kitchen and the master bathroom, and why I have a touch-sensitive lamp on my desk in my office here at home; there’s nothing worse than waking up to toddle off to the bathroom at 1:48 a.m. only to have your retinas scorched by the light making hitting the water impossible…and don’t even get me started on the various problems that can arise from that.
Fireworks - violent, destructive, and way too loud. Fuck your fireworks. They’re also cruel because most dogs, cats, and pets of all kinds are traumatized by the explosions.
Sudden loud noises - like, oh yeah…fireworks, noise from air shows, racing venues, etc.
Small talk - “Could it be any more annoying?”
Violence - it turns my stomach; even playful slaps can trigger memories of PTSD. Yet, I can watch police procedurals on TV or YouTube videos of people getting arrested while being affected.
Shouting—I recoil into an emotional cocoon if someone shouts at me. I was raised in Alabama and Texas, where public school teachers and Principals were always ready to shout —and spank— a child into submission. My maternal unit was also a frequent shouter, as were some others in my past. 😖
Drunks - I’ve never met any I liked, not even the happier ones.
Alcohol-tinged breath - watch me heave right then and there; protect your shoes.
Guns - like fireworks, they’re violent, destructive, and way too loud; I hate the very idea of them.
Stamps - the glue on the back tastes terrible.
PCs - Why I use a Mac.
Random children crying - when in the vicinity of neighborhood kids, my grandkids, or even a stranger’s kids in a park who are crying and they are within sight, I’m fine; but if I hear a child crying and can’t locate him or her, I’m immediately on alert and have been known to leave the house on foot in search of the poor little thing who is being hurt by some adult wanker —though I should admit that none of my desparate-must-find-the-crying-child-search-and-rescue-operations have ever yielded any results that justify them— still, it annoys the hell out of me. My resulting behavior probably won’t change.
Coffee older than 15 minutes—let’s be honest. If you’re a coffee snob like me, nothing but freshly ground beans and a single cuppa will pass the test. Air pots should be banned as they are breeding grounds for all kinds of gastrointestinal miseries.
The good opinion of others—I wish I were immune, but I’m human and still care, just not that much. Abraham Maslow stated that “becoming independent of the good opinion of others” was the final step of self-actualization; I can get jiggy wit dat.
OK, that’s it for now.
If you enjoy this publication, consider sharing it with friends, enemies, readers, or literate pets. I promise never to become annoyed by you. 😉