Annoying Myself

The other night I was talking to my daughter on the phone while she was at her mother's house. Just in the general course of the conversation I asked about what she had eaten for dinner.

 

"Stuff." she replied 

"Can you be more specific?" I asked.

"Food." she answered back.

 

At first, I got frustrated with the non-answers she was giving me. It was irritating and annoying and then it hit, oh my god, she is just doing what I do to her sometimes.

 

When my daughter asks what we are having for dinner, I quite often answer back "Food." Sometimes I am being silly or flip. Sometimes, I don't have an answer. Sometimes I just don't want to admit that I don't have the energy to cook and I plan on going through the drive-through or have some delivered.

 

Well, I realized that if I am half as annoying to her as she was to me when answering like that, then I am really annoying. A straightforward answer or at least an honest "I don't know." would be far preferable and respectful than my smart-ass answer.

 

Now that reality has slapped me in the face and I realize how annoying that particular trait is I have to wonder in what other ways am I annoying. Are there other aspects of my personality that would make me find myself annoying? Is talking about being annoying, annoying?

 

Regardless, I have vowed now to be more careful with my words and to stop answering questions in that way. Although I didn't much care for the reflection, I am grateful to my daughter for holding up that particular mirror.