Offended

I saw a quote awhile back that was something along the lines of:

"2017, the year everyone was offended by everything."

It's stuck with me, and while I internally laughed at it at the time, it has continued to resurface throughout the past few months as I realized how frequently offended I let myself become. 

Because that's the thing - I let myself be offended. It's a mindset. I think summer has highlighted it a bit more because honestly my patience wears thin when I'm constantly sweating out of my mind, and if someone on a corner so much as looks at me wrong I feel myself getting pissed.

However. That's not really the best way to go through life - letting my blood pressure skyrocket on a daily basis because of some random interaction with a stranger. Which happens WAY more here than it ever has in the States. It's more common for someone to randomly offer advice to you, make a comment, bluntly ask you out on a date, stare at you for long periods of time - than I've ever experience anywhere else I've lived. 

This past month in general, here are some examples of when I was given unsolicited feedback:

- I was accused of not picking up the dog's poop, when I religiously do so.

- I was told that we should not have Huskies in Israel, they belong in Alaska.

- I was told I don't plank correctly.

- I was told I don't backstroke correctly.

To be fair: it's not. It's just not something I really cared about.

However my 'lightbulb' moment with my chronic offended-ness was while - of course - grocery shopping.

I walked into the store down the street from me last week, and an employee was washing out the deep freezers in the frozen section. I looked into the freezer and what I saw grossed me out a little bit, and the thought crossed my mind that this should be a task done when the store is closed, not open.

Then, I got partially sprayed in the face with the dirty freezer water.

Walking home, I was fuming to myself at how absurd that situation was, and how zero shits were given by any of the store employees. How offensive, that is no way to treat a customer.

As I stalked home, I realized two things.

1. I sounded like a bratty diva and simply have to get over the brashness of Israeli grocery stores.

2. I could either let this annoying experience ruin my day, or I could get over it.

So many of us love to get offended; sometimes I almost feel like we seek out opportunities to do so. 

Yet the more I think about it, the relationships I value the most in my life are the ones I truly know I can bluntly speak to - and they will do the same back, without getting offended. So why should I not try to mimic that across the rest of my life?

In summary, I'm trying to care a little bit less, and put the word 'offend' on the back burner. And that means across all outlets of my life - social media, real life interactions, emails, you name it. This summer heat causes me enough to sweat about, so if some random old man wants to tell me again that my dogs belong in Alaska, well maybe I'll just smile and thank them for that beautiful piece of advice. And then carry on with my day.

Cheers - 

Kait

4 Things I Want To Stop Seeing

#1. I want to stop seeing lists of reasons why I should unplug. Reasons why I should sign off facebook, and why I should put my phone down.

I get it, I do. But I’m sorry, for me, the pros of social media and connectivity far outweigh the cons. Being able to keep in close contact with my best friends and family all over the country is important to me. Group texts have changed my life.

love my groupt text with my mom & sis

So no, I’m not deactivating my Facebook. Stop obsessively taking videos with my phone at concerts? Sure, that can be a 2014 goal, I like that. But I’m just not giving myself ulcers over the amount of time I have my phone in my hand.

#2. Those lists referring to age. "40 things to do before you’re 40, 20 things never to do in your 20’s, 15 things I never thought about when I was 25." Can we just stop? It’s overwhelming, unnecessary, and half the time these list/articles things are contradicting themselves. One will urge you to go travel the world while you’re still young, and the other will warn you against frivolous spending: you better be saving your money in your 20's.

Sadly, I didn't land myself a six-figure job out of college, so no, I cannot simultaneously save money and travel the world, while holding a full-time job. If anyone has figured this one out, please pass on the secret.

#3. Those lists pertaining particularly to relationships and dating. These infuriate me. Lists of ways to spark your relationships, 20 great pick-up lines, ’23 things that let you know you’re in the right relationship'.

My first reaction when I see these is extreme confusion. What makes all of these random online writers experts on this delicate topic? Everyone is different, every couple functions differently, has different morals and values – that’s what makes dating and marriage such a beautiful thing.

me & my main man

#4. The freaking fitness lists. 10 tips to lose those last 10 pounds. 5 ways to not gain holiday weight. Or my person favorite – 20 tips to lose weight before your wedding.

Sigh. Don’t get me started on this one. Eat right. Stop eating empty calories i.e. sugar. Drink a lot of water. Get up and move from your desk. Throw around some weights. LISTEN to your body, and find out what works for you. These lists are so general and off-base it’s nauseating.

There is no quick fix that is healthy and natural. Just remember that.

this quote just felt right.

I get that buzzfeed has and always will be a list-type website. That’s cool – usually their postings are for humor, mainly containing pictures, and this has just always been their motif. But why, oh why are SO many other websites now featuring list-type articles? Whatever happened to the lost, beautiful art of writing out actual paragraphs, using actual facts, and making valid points instead of rattling off absurd opinion-based vomit?

That is my rant. Maybe I'm just being a romantic. Nonetheless, cheers to 2014 being the year these obnoxious lists stop clogging up my newsfeeds. Fingers crossed.

K