Life’s Little Inconveniences by Deneen Azzolino

Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash

One thing I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older (I’ll be fifty eight this year) I’ve noticed I have a harder and harder time dealing with what life throws at me. You know all those curve balls or those inconveniences; those ironic things life seems to throw at you all the time.  Whether they’re  big or small,  it’s just harder to deal with them!  You get annoyed with them more easily. I use to tease my mom about it all the time but now I think I understand her more and more! My husband is a little younger than me, has always had a hard time dealing with them. They can be stupid little things but all in all they are just inconvenient.

There was one time I was at the bank drive-through and my husband and I pulled in and the bank teller was in the window she looked up at us but didn’t acknowledge us, just looked at us. She didn’t say a word. She just bent her head back down and continued doing whatever she was doing. Now, if she would of looked up and said  “ One moment please, I’ll be right with you.” It would of been fine but she completely ignored us for five plus minutes! I’m sorry but to me that was just plan rude! I kept telling my husband, she is being very rude to a customer who has been at their bank for ten years! On top of this I had to be somewhere and when you go to a drive-through, it’s suppose to be quicker. At that point we pulled into a parking space in front of the bank I couldn’t wait any longer because I had to be at my appointment and I just went inside.  I think the drive-through speaker might have been on and everyone heard my comments because when I walked in they all looked at me. I really didn’t have an issue with that, she did not have to be so rude! The next day I went back to the bank and took my money out and I switched banks. The same bank teller who was rude the previous day was the one who had to do the transaction. She asked why I was leaving their bank and I point blank said “ you have bad customer service and you are very rude!” One small and kind thing could of changed that whole scenario. All she had to do was take a moment and acknowledge us! It’s the little things that go a long way!

Being considerate to other people has really disappeared I’ve noticed this more and more. One place I’ve noticed it is when you’re at the grocery store and people walk right into you and don’t apologize or cut in front of you when your reaching for something on the shelf. I really believe we need to take a deep look into manners again! This wasn’t a manner issue but a stop and think for a moment for this guy at the grocery store. We handed our bagger our reusable bags, he looked at us and asked “ would you like your drinks in the bags also?” No, we would like to take them to our car one by one!!!! ( insert face palm emoji here!!!!!) Stop and think people!!! There was plenty of room in the bags there was no bread or eggs to squish!!  Yes, I think I’m turning into a cranky old lady now!! My kids have called me the dreaded “ Karen” I always try my hardest to be nice and calm and of course I said “ yes, please” I  wasn’t even sarcastic which I do have a hard time not being but I did walk out of the store with my husband shaking my head wondering how the world is going to be in a few years! 

Have people lost there common sense? Are they just not thinking. I would truly like to know what goes on in their heads. I was at work and it was the end of the day. I saw a friend that I worked with last year and we are very close, I don’t get to see her during the day so I pulled over in the parking lot to talk to her about her wedding plans. I was over enough so people could get by and if people were trying to get out their parking spot there was plenty of room for them to be able to back out with no issues. The person in one of the cars trying to get out almost slammed into the front of me! My friend I was talking to said “she almost hit you!” So I moved back even more, thinking ok I’ll give her even more space to pull out. She did it again! She pulled out the same way again almost hitting me!  Twice!!! Needless to say I just left but I happen to be behind her going down the road and she pulled into a gas station, no blinker, she didn’t  slow down to take the corner. I was really thinking to myself this is why there are so many accidents! I worry! I honestly do!

People just with their day to day driving have either lost their sense of driving skills or consideration for other people on the road or just don’t care anymore. There have been so many accidents in my little town and surrounding area that it’s scary! This is more than an inconvenience people you are losing your life and others when you are driving erratically. Slow down , relax , life is way too short to be rushing and not taking your time.

Back to stupid little inconveniences that bug me! I’ve had in instance when for some reason the dishwasher was supposedly done but when I went to put the dishes away the dishes came out disgusting and had food still on them.  I had to wash them all by hand! Of course I had a busy day and had  to run some errands but wanted to get the chores done first. Of course  the next load was perfectly fine but in my brain because I had a busy day the dishwasher wanted to play a game of ball! Life’s little curve balls!!! I know having a dishwasher is a luxury and I’m happy and very lucky to have one but when they don’t work they way they are suppose to then you do realize how lucky you really are.

One of life’s many inconveniences is when you get sick! There is absolutely no way around it. It happens no matter how hard you try to prevent it. It really stinks. I work in an elementary school so we are like one giant petri dish! I could be walking down the hallway and all it takes is a student to sneeze or cough without covering it up and BOOM I am sick! As I’ve gotten older I get sick so much easier too! I could wash my hands with antibacterial soap I could wash down the table that I’m sitting at with antibacterial cleaner,  I can take all the precautions in the world, and I know, for a fact I would still get sick! It’s pretty much a given!  You would think after all the years I’ve been working in a school system I’ve would of built up one heck of an immune system but nope! There is no way around it. It’s not officially part of the job description, but we all know in tiny small print at the bottom of that said job description it is part of the job and we just have to take it as it comes. I wouldn’t give up my job for the world and that’s why I deal with this little but big inconvenience!

There was another time I had gotten sick and ended up with  a bad migraine for three days. My husband had taken the girls down to see their grandparents in North Carolina and I was home alone with my two dogs. It was the worst migraine I had ever experienced. It was so bad that even the dogs walking around  I could feel the vibration in the floor and it hurt like I had a jackhammer inside my head! I called my doctor’s office and she sent a prescription for some medicine over to the pharmacy. The pharmacy is right up the road from my house. I called them to make sure they had it and the said it should be ready by the end of the day. I kept an eye on my phone to get the text message that it was ready and I didn’t receive anything. I was literally in tears. So, I put on my coat and sunglasses because even though the sun was setting it was killing my eyes and drove to the pharmacy! The clerk came to the window and asked for my birthdate and name and he said oh that would be ready tomorrow morning! I said WHAT??? This was sent in this afternoon! I’ve had this migraine for three days! I proceeded to burst into tears! He said he would be right back and he would talk to the head pharmacist. I could see him talking to the guy. He came back and said it would be ready in five minutes! Now one, why couldn’t they have done that before and two, they knew I called and they said it would be ready and they knew what it was for ! When he handed me the medication I thanked him profusely! I still would like to know why they were going to wait for the next day. Maybe, I don’t want to know!

I love as we get older and we wake up with a new pain out of no where! We go to get out of bed and can’t walk! Your knee hurts or some other appendage isn’t working the way it was when you went to bed.  I had it happen to me one time when I couldn’t put any weight on left foot because my big toe was hurting so bad! What the heck happened and how did it happen?!  It’s almost like your body went out and had a grand old time but forgot to tell you about it!!! How does that happen? When did life say “ hey, I’m going to start throwing you curve balls, you better start catching them or get hit in the head by them,  it’s your choice!” I think it was Alanis Morissette that had a hit song in the 90’s called “ Ironic”?” I really think she was on to something! I believe it was a big hit for her because life is so Ironic! Even when you look at some of these things I spoke about it is ironic thing and life’s little inconveniences.

I just don’t understand it and for some reason in the back of my mind a little voice is saying we’re not suppose to. You know that old saying “ It is what it is” I use to dread that saying for the longest time! When someone would say it I would roll my eyes and think to myself “ give me a break” but as I have gotten older it is absolutely true,  life is what it is and we just have to roll with punches and make the best of what we can! Just remember though:

When people are kind and considerate and think before we act or speak it goes a long way into making everyone feel good even yourself!

DMA

Read Deneen’ stories here.