Facebook Pixel

How to Annoy Your Friends

By Blogger
 
Rate This
on being annoying to your friends MonkeyBusiness Images/PhotoSpin

I recently treated myself to an adventure. It wasn’t earth-shattering, but it was a spur-of-the-moment road trip to see the space shuttle arriving in Los Angeles atop a modified 747 aircraft.

I’ll spare you all the details, but suffice it to say that it was a successful trip, I had a perfect viewing spot, and when it was over I was stoked!

So stoked, in fact, that I simply had to share my experience with someone who cared about such things, so I called one of my friends (who is also in Los Angeles) with whom I have been on several trips to see solar eclipses.

“I just saw the shuttle! Whatever you do, don’t miss it when it gets to your area in about three hours!” I said breathlessly.

“I already have a place picked out,” he replied.

“I had the greatest spot,” I continued. “I was so close that it wouldn’t even fit in my binoculars’ field of view!”

“I have already seen the shuttle on the 747; I had a wide angle lens on my camera and I was still so close that I couldn’t even get the whole thing in,” he deadpanned.

“I went to the air force base a couple of years ago when the shuttle landed there.”

I could almost hear the wind rushing out of my sails. What a bummer.

Instead of being excited for me and appreciating my encouragement to have a great experience, he had to top my story with his own.

It occurred to me that when we do this to our friends, we may be alienating them. True, if they play the same way they may not even notice or care, but that’s not the point.

The point is that to be a good friend you just don’t act like that!

We need our friends if we want to lower our stress. They are an important resource for venting or distraction from problems.

Just like any good resource, we should treat them well not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because we want them to be there when we need them, just like we want to be there for them when they need us.

Imagine the stress of losing a good friend ... YIKES!

*********

Dealing with cancer, some other major illness, or life in general? Our free daily tips will help you cope: sign-up at http://www.CopingQuickies.com/

For even more stress management tips and techniques visit http://www.CopingUniversity.com where world-class experts share their wisdom to help you cope. Hours of FREE online audio programs will help reduce your stress and restore your hope.

Topics are unique, unusual, fascinating, and just plain fun! Learn how to find humor when nothing seems funny, how to love the way you look no matter what, and how to be romantic even during a serious illness. Our online content is always free, so visit today!

And, check out our YouTube channel for entertaining coping ideas: http://www.YouTube.com/copinguniversity

Edited by Jody Smith

Add a Comment2 Comments

EmpowHER Guest
Anonymous

Nice article and unique topic. These kind of behaviors happen by the minute, so it's a great reminder to be a good listener for our friends.
One of my writers, Kimberly Elmore discusses such a great topics along these lines at Identity. :)
Take a look at her column below:
http://identitymagazine.net/category/accept/emotion-commotion/

October 3, 2012 - 12:33pm
Blogger (reply to Anonymous)

Thought I was signed in.. the above post is from me :)

October 3, 2012 - 12:34pm
Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.
By submitting this form, you agree to EmpowHER's terms of service and privacy policy
Add a Comment

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.

Emotional Health

Get Email Updates

Emotional Health Guide

HERWriter Guide

Have a question? We're here to help. Ask the Community.

ASK

Health Newsletter

Receive the latest and greatest in women's health and wellness from EmpowHER - for free!