5 Things That Grind My Gears

I'm usually known as the laid back one, as Shaun says "you're so laid back you're horizontal"! But there are a lot of things that grind my gears, so here's my top 5.  

1.  Incorrect Punctuation/Grammar/Spelling

Anybody who knows me knows that I’m a complete and utter grammar nazi.  It drives me crazy reading through a news or magazine article where they haven’t even bothered to proof-read it!  I know, I know, I’m THAT person but I just can’t help it! It has recently been suggested that always feeling the need to correct someone else's grammar is actually a variant of OCD. 

I just think that if you’re being paid to write and publish a post/article on a well-known website, it should be 100% grammatically correct.  If grammar and punctuation aren’t your forte, get someone else to proof read it. (note to self, Google “proof reading jobs near me”).

Also, remember “back in the day” when you had your first mobile phone and each text had a character limit so you shortened your words to fit everything into one message? Well Facebook/Messenger etc. doesn’t have a limit, so write in full bloody sentences and “nt lyk dis. No wut I mean?”

Does this bug anyone else or just me?

2.  Not Indicating!

Hey, see those little blinky lights on either side of your car? They’re called INDICATORS and are used to INDICATE to other drivers which direction you’re going!  The only thing more irritating (and dangerous in some cases) than people NOT indicating, are people indicating incorrectly, or forgetting to turn them off!

3.  Drivers Speeding Up When You’re Overtaking Them

This REALLY annoys me, they’re cruising along at 65mph in a 70mph zone in their brand new fancy pants Audi*, and then they see this old 53 plate Fiesta in their mirror overtaking them. Oh no, we can’t allow this to happen, an old FIESTA overtaking ME in my brand new fancy pants Audi? Absolutely not, lets speed up, we’ll show them who’s boss.

Seriously? Get a grip.

*Side note:- no offence to any Audi drivers, your cars are very nice and I’m sure it’s only the minority who drive like idiots. 

4.  Rudeness

I’m sure this annoys most people, but why is it so difficult to hold a door open for someone or say thank you if someone holds it open for you? The world seems to have no manners these days!  I was brought up to be polite so I never let a door go in someone’s face (even if they’re miles behind me) and I always thank people if they hold one open for me.  As the saying goes, “manners cost nothing”!

5.  The Media Telling us How to Look

This one has been bugging me for years now, and I’m considering doing a whole blog post on it at some point in the future.  Magazines, TV, Model Agencies, Fashion Brands, all telling us how we’re “supposed” to look.  And I’m not just talking about women because it’s the same for men nowadays. There’s so much pressure to look a certain way.  You need to use fake tan because pale skin is gross. You need to be under a certain weight. You need to have abs for people to find you sexy.  You need to plaster your face with make up because you’re clearly not pretty enough without it. 

I know teenage girls who are considering PLASTIC SURGERY because they feel they aren’t beautiful enough. They want lip fillers because they feel like they should have plump lips like Kylie Jenner for boys to like them, or a boob job because they think theirs aren’t big enough to be sexy.  THIS IS NOT OK. All these magazines and celebrities are making these young girls and boys think that they should ALTER THEIR BODIES to be considered beautiful, when there’s nothing wrong with how they look.  The number of admissions to hospital of patients with eating disorders has DOUBLED in the last six years, and I genuinely believe that the media etc. has a lot to do with it.

ENOUGH.

If you’re reading this and you feel the same, remember you are beautiful just the way you are. You don’t have to go and alter yourself just because the celebrities and magazines say so.  I know people who won’t go on holiday or wear shorts or a skirt without putting on fake tan first – why? I never use fake tan and I’m like a ghost! (Typical Scottish skin!) Who cares? Nobody!  There are wayyy more important things in life to worry about! I promise you nobody's going to look at you and think "he/she should have put on some fake tan". (Oh, and sunbeds are a complete no-no, but that's a topic for another day).

Go out, have fun, explore the world and don’t let the media tell you how to look.  Because you are beautiful just being you. 💓