Irk. Now that is funny word, don’t you think.
We get irked, we do. Us humans.
To irk, is to irritate, or annoy, according to Mr. Webster.
I can try a few more… like pique, nettle, exasperate, and infuriate. There are definitely some things in life which irk me. Some are little, and some are great big.
I guess even that is in the eye of the beholder.
The little ones are mostly habits. Annoying habits. Like people clicking their nails on a desk, or not using a turn signal, or picking at their feet… or something.
The bigger ones have more to do with social injustices, planetary concerns, world leaders, or those vying to be.
But why? Why do we get irked. I guess a lot of times, it just goes against our grain. The “annoyance” somehow disrupts our peace, or our thoughts, or our space. Sometimes it then goes on to make us feel anger. Other times, it is simply stressful. But it definitely causes anxiety.
No matter where it ends up, it just isn’t a good feeling to begin with.
I wonder if animals get irked. Like birds… or squirrels…. or dogs. I mean, I’ve never seen a Flicker, look over at a Sparrow, and say…. “Do you HAVE to eat those seeds like that? Can’t you keep your beak SHUT when you peck, for crying out loud?”
Yeah. I doubt it too. Seems like it is exclusive to us humans. I know there have been times in my life where I have been the Queen of the Kingdom of Irk. These days, I try not to let the little things bother me so much. I mean, the other person most likely isn’t TRYING to be annoying. And, it really doesn’t help things much to be irritated. Little things.
With the bigger things, I think we need to take action. Be more vocal about injustices, or political wrongs. Be activists. Work toward solutions, and such.
Neither one of the paths is necessarily easy… the little irks, or the big irks.
I can only guess it is helping us grow. Grow towards being better people, in the little things, but more importantly… in the big concerns.
And that may be the best part of the getting hit with the Irks.
“One man practicing kindness in the wilderness is worth all the temples this world pulls.”
― Jack Kerouac, The Dharma Bums
“Go in the direction of where your peace is coming from.”
― C. JoyBell C.
It be accepted and accept what cannot be changed.”
― Reinhold Niebuhr