My biggest annoyance in life is that I’ve always felt that if you “Talk the talk, then walk the walk.”  I’m a person who believes that you should always stay true to your word.  If you say you’re going to do something, then do it.  What’s so hard about that?!  I can boast about certain things that I’ve done in my life without reticence; some may sound outlandish while others hard to believe, but I have the proof to back it up.   I know a lot of people that talk smack and never follow through or give a million and one reasons/ excuses why they’re hesitant; some even speak a good story but can’t back their claim.  Can’t tolerate those people; personally think that they’re just too damn scared to get out of their comfort zone to make even a feeble attempt.  My whole point is don’t bring up a subject, event, situation, bucket list task and tell people you’re thinking about doing it if you had the time, money or skills.  We all know you’re not going to do it, you probably just wanted to start a conversation for the sake of having the attention drawn to you.  There’s only a few select people in the world that stay true to their word…it’s a rarity to be next to one.  I at least have the good fortune to know some and it’s quite refreshing.  So just remember to have the balls to do what you tell people you’re going to do and then Nike up…JUST DO IT!

It’s amazing that in this day and age that there are still some people that still ridicule the handicapped.  Whether it be someone with a physical deformity, Down’s Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Autism, or mental instability just to name few.  You’d be surprised that anyone from any walk of life or profession still discriminate or look down upon them.  I find it hard to forgive those that are not tolerant of those people living with some type of handicap, claiming ignorance just won’t cut it for me.  Guess growing up with a sister that has a handicap has turned me into a cynic when it comes to those type of things.  All my life I’ve gotten into fights because there were people who constantly teased her; it was my way of protecting her and in a subconscious way learning to cope with that “Why me?” and “Why do I have to have a sister with a handicap?” attitude.  Granted at times it was rough and I was put through the ringer but there were great times as well.  And the good always outweighs over the bad in my opinion.  I learned to understand my sister’s disability and became more tolerant of her shortcomings.  I can’t imagine how my parents did it all these years and to add to their credit – with a smile on their faces.  They grew up in a time where this type of disability was shunned or kept in the closet.  Yes, times have changed and it is more out in the open than in the past but the acceptance is still quite not there.  In the end, we’re all people and we all have feelings even if some of us are unable to convey them outright due to our handicap.  I learned accept the handicapped because I had to grow up with a sibling with it and looking back, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I’m a better person for it and I constantly teach my kids the importance of being understanding towards those that are handicapped.  Don’t get me wrong, I still see red when I observe the ignorant making a snarky remark or stare towards the handicapped but I’ve learned to accept that those type of people have a disability that nothing can cure – stupidity.

Growing up I always heard the phrase “The grass is always greener on the other side” and as a young kid I took that literally.  As I got older I started to understand it more and more.  Yes there were times when I was envious of others and felt their life was more charmed than mine but in the end I was content with where my life had ended up.  I always believed that my life was preordained and that I should just shut up and go along for the ride.  As I got older and wiser, if I can say that, I started to realize how some people are just plain lucky.  Everything seems to fall in place for them without every trying while I bust my ass fighting and clawing for everything that I have.  On one hand, it makes me appreciated all that I’ve worked for but on the other hand I’m still envious of the other guy that had things fall in their lap.  We all know someone “lucky” like that; that one friend that can quit a job and get another one, a better one the next day.  Or a family member that is showered with praise or more birthday gifts than you.  Or someone that gets in that faster grocery line because you thought yours would move along quicker and opted not to go in that other line.  I know life’s unfair but does it have to always be like that.  I got two bad news in one week, TWO and that just plain outright SUCKS!  There’s that phrase “Every dog has his day” but so far I’ve yet to see that reflected in my life.  My life’s not “great” but it’s still good.  Do I wish it was better?  HELL YES!  It’s hard to ignore the fortune of others and appreciate what I have, I’m only human.  But once, just once I wish the cards were stacked in my favor.  I’ve been busting my ass and have yet to reap its fortune.  Who am I to feel so entitled is what most would say, but just this once I’d like to be selfish and I deserve it.

Phone etiquette…another one of my all time pet peeves that’s quite similar to my first blog post on what annoys me the most.  It’s a safe bet to say that this happens to a majority of us; you know, when you’re talking on the phone with someone and they carry on a conversation with someone else while talking with you.  You thought that this would be an “A and B conversation” but B is communicating with C, D, E and F and excluding you in the process.  This irritates the hell outta me!  First off, if you’re talking on the phone at least have the courtesy of giving your full attention to the person on the other end of the line.  If you can’t do that then get off of the phone for crying out loud.  You don’t need to be talking to someone else AND talking on the phone at the same time; in fact, you don’t need to be eating as well while talking.  We know that you can multi-task but you don’t need to prove that to us.  When you’re ready to give us your full attention then that’s when you should call us up; that’s all that we ask.  If you still insist on carrying on an extra conversation at your end with someone else while still on the phone with us, then don’t get mad if we do the same to you–Capice!  What’s good for the goose is good for the gander I say.

I’ve spent nearly 25 years learning the art of writing by taking countless and countless and countless of classes.  Since then I’ve been trying to perfecting my craft to to reflect my inner voice; I’ve dabbled in children’s stories but my mainstay was screenwriting. I’ve met the “who’s who” of established screenwriters over my years and learned one very important thing…it’s difficult to come up with something original let alone have a “fresh” take on something done before. All around me I hear people say negative comments about a movie they saw or a tv show they just watched; granted it’s their right to express their opinions but something inside me just cringes and snaps. In a dream scenario, I would jump out of my chair and slap them silly until they pass out. Why you may ask would I do such a horrific thing? Well, as a writer, I know how hard it is to come up with an idea and I know the tedious task of taking that idea and creating a well constructed story. Even the most crappiest of movies had to be written. If those people making snide remarks about a movie knew one iota about the process of writing then they wouldn’t be quick to judge. I would like to see them try and do better; I know for a fact that they would fall flat on their faces right out of the gate. A person slaved away countless of hours doing what they love just to tell a simple story; it’s their pride and passion and you’re gonna rain down on their parade. For crying out loud people, it’s just a movie! It’s meant to entertain you, make you forget your problems! That’s all! It’s not meant to win the Pulitzer or Noble…it’s a movie. It’s make-believe. Suspend all disbelief and assume the impossible is possible. Just shut up and have fun…and stop being a critic.

One of my pet peeves in life is when you’re talking to a person, whether it be a friend, co-worker or family member, you give them 100% of your attention but when it’s their turn to reciprocate, they give you half of their attention.  They either acknowledge an oncoming person beyond your sight line or carry on a tangent conversation with someone else and rejoin hearing you speak when they’re through.  Have the decency to give respect to the person who sat there listening to every word you said and do the same.  It just kills me when I have to repeat what was already said; at that point I feel that the line of communication is completely and utterly destroyed.  I don’t even want to continue to speak let alone look at the person.  Don’t even get me started on those people that interrupt a conversation just to say something trivial; that’s another pet peeve for a future post.