NAG!

I have very few serious gripes.  For the most part my pet peeves are common sense things that I think should be natural to people. 

Simple stuff-
Pick up after yourself
Toilet paper goes over top the roll, NOT under
On the subject of bathrooms, clean up your hair and close the shower curtain (otherwise the liner gets nasty quicker)
Laundry- basic color-coding, it's probably best if I just do my own
Try to understand others
If you're afraid of the snow on the roads, stay home because chances are you're endangering more than just yourself.
And a few more but that's the most basic list

The one thing that I absolutely REPEL and disgusts me is nagging. 

I understand the basic want for someone else to do better.  You could even say I bleed this philosophy from my mouth because I am always trying to advise friends as best as possible.  But not unless they ask or clearly need help.  But I am NOT one of those people who forgets important details easily.  In fact, I have a FABULOUS memory and can remember minute little details that most people would not think twice about.

My mother is the nagging type.  I love her dearly but for years all I heard about was the importance of higher schooling.  Every situation we would talk about it would go to, 'Sarah, you're so smart you really need to be harnessing your knowledge and furthering your education.'  She has her views and loves letting others know.  I have had to make it very clear to her that whatever decisions I make, I will make them for my own personal fulfillment.  I've repeated this for a LONG time.  The more she nagged me about it, the more I repelled the idea and the more adamant I became that I can make my own decisions when the time is right for me.  She'll pick one topic and you will hear about it forever, until she picks a new one to focus on.

I finally decided to take the step for myself because it fit into MY master plan and beliefs.  It's not like I don't hear what she says, it's just gotta fit into my goals at the right time.  So what did she do?  Switch gears into job mode.  AND I also got this from my husband...

He will also pick certain things and keep reminding me about them, constantly.

Getting my school information done - heard about it every day.  'Did you file your fafsa?'  'You really need to contact them because of...'  'Did you call your advisor?'  'Are you looking into your program?'  ALL. THE. TIME.  EVERY DAY.  

I was afraid to send out my resume.  I've been out of work for over a year and if something does not look perfect I am typically not the type of person to jump into something.  So he kept bringing it up....

The most recent was "how about Monday or Tuesday?  I have off, we can drop off your stuff."  Which at that point 'resume and cover letter' wasn't even started.  There is a process involving email and waiting with this job and he wasn't taking ANY of that into consideration.  Just wanted me to jump in there.  Not going to work.  So I let him know this...

"Do you think that I do not understand the financial situation we are in?  Close budgeting is not fun for me either.  I know what I need to do.  This is a perfect opportunity for me.  I CAN'T just jump in.  I have to follow procedure.  You do not need to keep reminding me of these things.  In fact, you give me unnecessary stress when you do this. "

At that point he understood what I was saying.  I know he's trying to help but MAN it gets annoying sometimes!

That night we were laying down talking and I said to Mike (because I never bring this up and EXPECT him to do what he needs to do) ....

"So you've been trying to help me constantly.... with school.... with job.... How are YOUR goals coming?  How's that info on your college goals coming along???"

He looked at me and said, "I understand and noted."  Basically a touche.

That night he got on the school's website and started looking at contact information and applying.

HEEHEE!  It makes me giggle.  Got my point across!