Are there differences in how you and your mate do some things which act like fingernails down a chalk board? How about for dating me? For those of you who have never seen a chalk board, it was usually a black or green slate board upon which we wrote with chalk in school (like sidewalk chalk only smaller and usually just white).
If you ran your fingernails down the chalkboard they would make a strident screeching sound. Not a pretty sound…
Have some of your mate’s differences in behavior become pet peeves? Of course they have. What do you do when you see or hear them?
Do you remember the three tests of aggravation I have shared with you previously? Here they are again: 1) Ask yourself if you can see it from an airplane. 2) Ask yourself if you will remember it 20 years hence. And finally, 3) Is it the hill on which you want to die in defense?
If you can’t answer a resounding YES to all three of those…close your mouth and breathe.
Recently, as my bride and I were coaching a couple and the subject of pet peeves came up. When I suggested I had some with her, I could see the shock on her face. What I’m about to share is not about her actions, but how I have learned it really is not a great deal and I take a deep breath and walk away.
We have an automatic touch control kitchen faucet. Just touch it anywhere and it turns on and off. It’s great when my hands are dirty from cooking something requiring me to get my hands messy. I love to simply use my wrist or forearm to turn the faucet on without getting gunk on the faucet…except the faucet can be turned off manually, defeating the touch control until the handle is turned back on.
There was a time when I would fuss about my Sweetheart’s tendency to turn it off manually when she operates the faucet. So, when I came to touch it with my wrist to wash my dirty hands …it didn’t work. I decided this was not the hill to die on, I just stopped complaining about it and now just turn it on manually going forward.
My relationship with my Gorgeous Redhead means much more than the inconvenience of the faucet operation. So, I close my mouth and breathe and we are both happier. I think I’ll just keep on doing that. Love you, Babe!!!
