What is the weirdest thing that bothers you?

What idiosyncrasy do you hold near and dear to your heart?

My friend Brian has a passion for keeping the door to his office closed when it is not in use. The door’s closure allows him focus and to maintain the energy he needs to be most effective at his job. Brian will post on Facebook hilarious rants about the need for that door to be closed. His posts make me laugh, but also remind me that the idiosyncrasies that set us apart are also what make us all human.

I have a few pet peeves, but there are two issues in particular that set me off like dynamite.

1. Do not tell someone who works from home or who is a stay-at-home parent that they don’t have a “real” job. I don’t know what kind of household some people were raised in, but there is nothing fake about the challenges of working from home or running a household. Stop insulting the efforts and energy of others.
   
2. If a child is yours, do not call it “babysitting” when your partner or spouse needs to you watch those sweet darlings. Those children are your DNA, your flesh and blood, or your chosen child.
   It’s NOT babysitting if the child is yours. Stop pretending you are not a 100% partner in their upbringing. When those children are your sole responsibility for an evening, quit pretending you are a 14 year-old being paid $7/hour to watch cartoons and make frozen pizza. Your are a parent, not a babysitter.

With that being said, I hope you will take time to think about what makes you unique. What it is that sets you apart from others or what is it that others do causing you to need to be a part from them?

Be aware of the triggers for other’s emotional dynamite and remember we all have those wacky and weird ways of coping with things in the world. Don’t close the door on idiosyncrasies. Let our individual quirks be the foundation for healthy relationships and appreciation for what defines us as individuals. Welcome the weirdness and be considerate of the wacky ways of those you encounter. Be kind. Be accepting. Be sure to close the door to Brian’s office.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. Please comment and share your idiosyncrasies or pet peeves?