Do you ever find yourself being bothered, irked or annoyed by something that doesn't seem to bug others in the same way?

What's up with that?

I recently found someone else's "annoying," behavior REALLY getting to me. When I asked a friend if it bugged him, he admitted, "Not to the same extent it bugs you." Hmmm... I thought, so "Why is that?"

Sure, pet peeves can be simple annoyances like poor table manners, sloppy kitchen hygiene, grammatical errors in written passages, inconsiderate driving, lazy co-workers, or loud gum smacking. There are even web sites created just for people to share pet peeves and vent frustrations. Some of these include peeves like:

• People who think liberal arts is a major.

• New Jersey

• People who whine about New Jersey

• People over 21 who use the word 'dude,'

• People who write about pet peeves

HEY! Some of those are too close to home! Watch it dude!!

But, my friend's lack of "bug" in what bugged me brought me to evaluate "Why DOES this bug me?"

Here are my thoughts for me and for you. When something bugs us, REALLY bugs us, IT'S TIME TO DO SOMETHING. I'm not talking about the casual, "That stinks." I"m talking about the hair on the back of neck standing up, the blood pressure rising, the "errrrrrrrrrrr," or possibly the teary-eyed, "It just shouldn't be that way!" If you've experienced that too, it's time to stop ignoring it and face the facts. Here are our some options:

1. Time to look inside. How can this help me grow? For some reason, this bugs me.... Might I (me, moi, the dude in the mirror) do these kinds of things myself ? Should I take a closer look at how this really am at least somewhat guilty of this as well? Or, did I once do this and NOW it's bugging me because I still see "that slob" doing it?

2. Time to move away. How can I go quietly? I need to do what it takes to no longer keep putting myself in the way of this issue. No confronting, just get to safety.

3. Time to move towards. How can I make a difference? It may just be that the reason this bugs you is that one of the reasons God put you on this earth was to solve that problem. That's right! The answer to what bugs you.... may just be... little ole you! Possibly a way to serve another human by bringing it to their attention in all humility and love. OR , maybe, just maybe "Could this be a clue to your own calling? That's right. The reason it bugs you is because you are meant to be part of the solution, not just a passive bystander. Hmmmmm...

4. Time to think, "hmmmmmm..."

5. Time to quit reading Jeff's blog. What does this have to do with anything? I'm not bugged, peeved, or annoyed! In that case, that's just cool... Dude!

See you in Jersey!