Pushing my irate buttons
Do u get irate easily?
There are certain switches in everybody that turns on the irate button.
For me, one switch that really bumps up the irate mood is when people sit or step on my bed.
i hate it when people step on my bed. I think it's filthy(considering that fact that the person might have walked around and accumulate countless dust,germs and filth) and incredibly inconsiderate of the other party not to spare a thought for the person who owns the bed. I mean, think abt it, a normal person spends an average of 30% of his day in his bed. He can seriously do without the additional dust and dirt.
There was this little incident that really got me spurred up juz a few months ago, which i did not resolve but pushed to the back of mind cos i didn't want to argue. However, a similar incident happened yesterday that jolted back all the negative feelings i had of the situation. Let me share with you what happened.
Many moons ago, I just arrived with a couple of other people who are also on the same program that i am on and we were bunking at my seniors' place. At their generiosty, they offered us beds in their living room(thanks eric, ram and raj!) The beds were placed at a corner with decent space to walk around. Since my bed was placed at the outerside of the corner, i was irated at the fact that the guy who was sleeping on the bed beside me(who later became my roomie) kept stepping on my bed to get to his,even when there was ample space that he could walk to his bed without stepping on mine. I told him one day(mayb too irritatedly) not to step on my bed and he retorted with a " Tell me only when it's your bed"
At that point of time, i was momentarily stumped with part anger and part unbelief (although it was true that at that point of time, the bed really wasn't mine yet. My seniors later gave it to me)but the point was i felt that it was an inconsiderate statement to make. My bed or not, it was still inconsiderate to step on what people were sleeping on. I forgot why i didn't respond then and had left it at that, forgotten till yesterday.
A close friend gave me her bed 2 days ago (cos (1) hers was bettter (2) mine was made of plastic cover and a drag to sleep at night. Any single movement would warrant sounds and i didn't want to wake my roomie up, (3) she was going back to Singapore and had no use for a bed.)
I was delighted at the new bed and was reading on it yesterday when my roomie came across and complimented the new bed. He had his feet stretched out and seemed as if he was about to step on it so i immediatedly warned him to not step on my bed! (with vivid images of the scene from a few moons back flashing back into my mind) He had a look of disbelief on his face and i didn't really explained it to him why i had such a reaction. Instead, i said half jokingly, but seriously meant it - that he had stepped on my last bed, and he was not to step on my new one. I was glad that i did.
However, on retrospect, i wished i could have also told him how i felt about people stepping on places where people sleep. Cos he is a reasonable guy and does listen to reasons. Had i told him that earlier, it would have saved me from a lot of emotional agony. Wasn't it strange that eventhough we stay in the same room, i still find it hard to tell him how i feel? mayb it's precisely because of the distance and the fact that we weren't that close to start off with that one finds it hard? i wonder if best friends bunking together would have the same problem? or even married couples?
So what is the point of my article then?
To offer my two sense worth of solution to such a pushing irate button situation.
So here goes-
1. realise and identify what pushes your irate button
2. be honest with yourself if that irate button is justifiable (cos if not, then really, you could be in the wrong)
3. if yes, nip the irate button at the bud by sharing the reason behind the irateness. in a civilised and rational manner.
4. Be focused and not rake up old debts.
5. Listen to the other party. Really listen. U'd be surprised by the perspective u have neglected to see.
6. Forgive and move on.
or if all things fail, or you cant bring yourself to do it. u can do a me. Blog about it (it is strangely carthasic and theraputic) and hope the other party reads it. lol!
Tell me wat u think?
