It Bothers Me ...

          One of the dangers of growing old is that it is easy to become bitter and nobody enjoys a bitter, complaining person.  And it is often easy to become bitter over the smallest things.  I think sometimes folks don't really realize how negative they've become in their conversations and reactions.  We need to pray that the Lord would keep us from bitterness and allow our words, thoughts and actions to be sprinkled with grace and pleasing to Him.

          But ,as we know, there are many things in life which bother us and the fact is that one can be disappointed about situations, but not bitter.  Recently I began to think about things that disappoint me and bother me, in addition to bitter people.  But they are temporary and I can't really do anything to change these things.  So I accept them as a fact of life.  Here are some of those things which come to my mind.

          It bothers me when I go to a restaurant or a fast food location that I see employees who are on break standing outside, in their uniforms, smoking.  Don't they realize that they carry that smell with them when they return to work?  And, unfortunately, most of the time the employees are female.   I guess one of the results of women's lib is that females have the right to kill themselves by smoking.  I just wish that they weren't the ones preparing or serving my food. 

          It bothers me when I go our to eat and a family near me has a noisy, crying child who needs to be disciplined, but the parents do nothing about it.  My quiet meal time is ruined and I am tempted to put a sock in the child's mouth and warm his rear with my hand - just before I am arrested.  Now I may think that but I'd never do it or even recommend that.  I guess maybe I can't really relate to these parents since when our boys were growing up we couldn't afford to go out to eat.  But times and discipline have changed.

          It bothers me when a driver attempts to make a left hand turn from the right hand side of the road, keeping cars from passing him on the right.  I think they are inconsiderate but then I realize that driver's training is no longer a part of high school programs so maybe they don't know any better.

         I am always bothered by tailgaters when I am driving, especially when they are talking on their cell phones or texting.  Somehow they must think that their reaction time is not affected by doing multiple things at one time.  But they only have to be wrong one time.

          And while talking about cell phone use, I am bothered by those who don't turn them off in church and then they ring and disturb those around them. One summer the leader at Pinebrook joked about declaring a $100 fine for any cell phone that rang during the service.  Even with his warning, several did.  I don't know if he ever collected or not.

          And speaking about church, I admit that I am bothered by those people who are always late and then march down to the front to sit.  And it is the same people each week at about the same time.  You could probably set your watch by their appearance.   But then some people are late for everything.  I wonder if they will be late for their funeral.

          I am bothered by the lack of respect for property shown by the leaving of garbage.  Every few weeks we find beer bottles or fast food items on our lawn, thrown there from cars passing by.  And when I walk in our church on Mondays I am always amazed by the number of water bottles that are left on the chairs and on the floor for the custodian to remove.  Why don't people even have respect for the House of the Lord?

          Back to driving.  It bothers me when it is raining that many drivers don't turn on their lights.  That is the law in Pennsylvania.  I wonder if the police ever prosecute anyone for breaking this law.  It is often hard to see these vehicles, especially if it is raining hard.

         And one more about driving.  Our street doesn't have sidewalks and we must cross it to get to our mailbox.  The speed limit is 25 mph but often drivers pass by at 40 - 50 mph while we are trying to get our mail.  I think they want to see how close they can get to hitting us.  Often I wave at them to try and slow them down, but they just ignore me or are going too fast to see me signal.  And it is worse when it is raining because I think that some want to see how much they can splash me.

          And one more before I close.  Why don't owners train their employees how to give change.  Recently at Pennys I had to break a $20 for a bill of $1.34.  The clerk slapped the change into my hand, with the bills and coins mixed together.  And all the bills were also mixed up, some upside down and others backwards.  Not only didn't she count up when giving it to me, but the mixture was unbelievable.  Of course, since I once worked in a store I have a thing about that, especially having the bills the same way and in proper order.  But maybe with tody's technology clerks don't need to give change very often.

          Well I better quit or you will soon think that I am becoming a bitter old man.  I guess these things are just the result of the age and culture that we live in.  And there is nothing I can do about them but live with them and try to set an example by not doing the same things in return.  They aren't worth getting ulcers over and the only thing they might be worth is providing items for a blog when one can't think of anything else to write about.