In an almost permanent state of Peeved.

It should come to no surprise to anyone that I have some pet peeves. I guess we all do, and they are so inherently personal (hence the term "pet") that they seem totally illogical to anybody else that they seem...well...silly (hence the term "peeve", which is quite a silly term to describe something that gets under your skin, which, by the way, is also a silly term to describe something that isn't in a David Cronenberg film and BOY, hasn't this parathetical explanation gone on long enough?)

Mine are fairly simple.

I am peeved by people who try to tell you how you feel. You know what I mean: Somebody punches you in the arm, causing you more that a little discomfort. You react in a way that seems strange to the person who struck you; they seem perplexed at your reaction, and they invariably say, "That didn't hurt."

Why yes. Yes it did.

I'm not fond of the rough-house, by the way; my initial reaction to pain of any kind is to snap, and the anger can look most unpleasant. I also feels quite unpleasant, and then I have to deal with both the physical pain AND the fact that I let my emotions get the better of me. And that just makes me more angry, and the anger turns inward, and we're off to the races, and you can see why it's a pet peeve of mine.

So. Try not to hit. I almost never deserve it.

I also have a pet peeve about what is considered debate in this day and age. I'm all for a good argument, make no mistake, and in my life the best arguments have always ended in a change of opinion, either by myself (which is common) or the other party (not quite as common, because for the most part, I engage in debate as a form of discovery; I seek to swell my knowledge and shrink my ignorance). But these days, it seems that debate is an all-or-nothing exchange.

Recently, I was reading a blog from an young friend of mine. She had written about the massive layoffs of teachers out in California, and she brought to light some interesting observations. Well, it's a blog. And she got some feedback, not all of it in support of her position.

She proceeded to refer to the feedback as "ignorant."
And with that, I ceased to be interested in the debate. And, anything else upon which she may have an opinion.
It doesn't serve to increase my knowledge by refering to opposition opinions as "ignorant."

But it's her blog, she can say what she wants on it, and I'll defend her right to do so.

Which leads me to my last peeve.

Privacy.
What, exactly, is privacy, and can you have it in public?
Is a woman talking about her gynecological exam with someone on her cell phone while I stand in line behind her waiting for the morning joe be an invasion of my privacy? Why am I forced to listen to the VERY private minutae of this woman's life, when all I want is a cup of coffee? I realize that she has a right to coffee, and cell phones, and to say whatever she wants in public, short of "FIRE!" in a crowed theatre, but what about my sensibilities? Am I forced to abandon my position in line because she can't keep her vagina to herself?

We have lost the sense of propriety in this civilization.
Or.
I am even more of a dinosaur than I thought before.

Again.
Pity.