On the web, peevishness is defined as crankiness or irritability. Sometimes, I think that this definition applies directly to me. I’ve been thinking about this for some time, so I thought, I’ll just write about the things that make me peevish. Look out – here it comes.
To start with, I get peevish when I can’t remember how to spell a word. Like definition. Is it definishion? Or some other weird spelling of this word? Thankfully, although I really love The American Heritage Dictionary, I rarely use mine any more. It sits on my shelf, sadly neglected because it is easier to just click on my Foxfire search engine, put in how I think the word may be spelled and – hooray – the correct spelling pops up on my screen, as well as the definition. That, in itself, makes me a little peevish – to think that I would abandon my beloved dictionary with its illustrations and every word I’ve ever needed, with its explanation of English language rules, with its inclusion of every famous and non-famous person I ever wanted to identify – I remember enjoying hours just reading that dictionary. Really, hours.
Giving The American Heritage Dictionary to high school graduates was my favorite thing to do for them. Unfortunately, I don’t do that any more. They won’t use it like I did, now that they have the internet. Why would they? Have to take the heavy book from the shelf, find a place for it to lie on a table, search through the pages, and finally get the word – if they actually know how to spell the word. It’s tougher when you have to guess at the spelling.
Peevish, too, because as I’m typing whatever it is that I’m creating, the words that actually seem to flow rather freely don’t always come up on the screen the way I think I have typed them. Missing letters, here. Extra letters, there. Completely different and wrong words. How is that my fingers are now having some difficulty getting it right? The computer helps with that sometimes, when there is a difference between the word I’m wanting to put in and the word I type. It changes the misspelled word to the correct word. Of course, sometimes when correcting my words, it uses the wrong word! Oh, good! I really have to be careful about that.
When driving several of the streets that I use, I am horrified that my driving space has been so narrowed by a line of soft posts along a designated space for safety for bicycle riders. Now, understand, I know bicycle riders do need a designated space for travel. But, really, does it have to take up so much space that the road is so narrowed that I cannot understand how a step truck – or larger one – even fits in the space allowed. I’m concerned that on-coming trucks will side swipe me on their way past. Truth be told, I’ve run into those soft posts at sometime; particularly, on a curved section of the road. Sorry, bicycle riders – don’t hate me – I just don’t think five feet on both sides of a road need to be set aside for the bike lanes. Could it be that a fewer feet would work?
And, then, there are the cement installations that are showing up at intersections. They are in the middle of the roadway. Is it for people who need a little extra time getting across a two-lane city street need a place to rest a bit before tackling the other half of the road? Traffic on the road must swerve to avoid running over the installations.
My cardiologist is insisting that my LDL reading be 60 or below. Sixty! That, I’m told, is that because I had a heart attack several years ago, resulting in having two stents installed in my heart. I did not know at the time that the reason for the stents is because I’d had a heart attack. In a discussion with a medical person sometime later- maybe, more than a year – she asked about when I had had a heart attack. I assured her that I had never had a heart attack. She assured me that I had. A later discussion with my PCP involved that question. He assured me that, yes, those stents were installed because I’d had a heart attack. My peevish thinking is – WHY wasn’t I told at the time?
I figured it couldn’t have been much of a heart attack. No symptoms on my part. No chest pain, etc. But, now, because of that, I’ve been placed on a fast-track med called Repatha. My pharmacist says that it is “on wheels,” and it should definitely take care the cholesterol problem. But, yes, I’m somewhat peevish about needing that extra push against cholesterol. What doesn’t make me peevish about this is that without my insurance, the drug would cost more than $500. Peevishly, I do think – WHY? Thanks be to God, I have the insurance. What if I didn’t – would I just have to die?
A non-peevish thought is, never discount your pharmacist. Your pharmacist probably knows more about medications, their effects, their side effects, their interactions, etc., that many of our docs. I rely on mine for accurate information – the truth, if you will.
I get peevish when I realize that I can’t do all of those things I want to do. And, I cannot do what I can do with ease. In one of my last blogs, I talked about what I can and cannot do. So, we’ll not go into that.
I can say that there are things that really make my life easier – even during those peevish times. Like my clothes washer and dryer. People on television were asked if there was one home appliance that they considered the most valuable, what would it be. For me, it is definitely the clothes washer. Adding the dryer makes it a win-win. I can heat with wood (although a furnace is also nice in a pinch). I could cook on a wood stove, if I needed to (but, my microwave does most of my cooking, these days; and. yes, I cook in it and not just warm things up). I can wash dishes in a sink with soap and water, and I have a huge selection of wonderful dish towels, some embroidered, some not. I can sweep the floor with a broom; even the floor rugs can be swept with a broom, albeit not very effectively. Small rugs can be taken outside and beaten against a fence or some upright surface. I do like having electricity. But, hands down, my favorite appliances are my washer and dryer. I can hang clothes on an outdoor line, or even inside of my basement, but taking frozen laundry from an outside line in winter is not fun.
Peevish – yes. I do find that I feel peevish at times. The older I get, it seems there are more and more things that make me feel peevish. My hope is that, I can also see the positive things in my life – family, friends, acquaintances, medical folks, and more. That while taking what some would consider an enormous amount of medication, I get up every morning, look out of my bedroom window and see blades of grass (or the snow in winter). And, not the roots!
Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are greatly appreciated.