I’ve decided I am a really annoying person to share a work space with. Don’t get me wrong – I’m nice, I’m very neat, I shower, I speak softly (and carry a big stick!), and I don’t bring stinky food into the cube. But what IS annoying about me is the following:
- I curse. And damnit, I admit it. I’ll throw a charm-school-reject statement out there any day to vent my frustration. It isn’t very healthy, and I know my mother wouldn’t be proud (in fact, I’m sure she would say, “Now, now” very calmly).
- I like apples. I am a well-mannered chick, but for some reason I just can’t eat an apple quietly – and the sound is so distinctive! I think the description of eating an apple like a monkey is accurate, which is particularly annoying in a pin-drop-quiet office.
- I get up …frequently. I am a restless person to start with, and I happen to have a bladder that works well. Plus I often trip over my own flip flops while walking, which is even more disruptive.
- I brush my teeth after lunch. And these metal drawers that hold my dental delights make a LOT of noise (can’t some office products company sell something quieter?). Plus my toothbrush cover is way too big for my toothbrush, so it rattles around like a maraca. Ole!
- I keep a bowl of change and other sundries on my desk. Each day I scrounge through to scrape together $1.42 for a small… oh excuse me, tall…. Starbucks coffee. This activity produces the distinct sound of change swirling around hard plastic with thumb tacks, paper clips, staples, a squishy stress ball (those things make noise?), and a Dunkin’ Donuts gift card. That can’t be good.
- I laugh a lot. Out loud. Often for no discernable reason. In the dead silence, my hearty chuckle might seem a little out of place.
So the jury is in. It's official...I'm annoying.
