Pet Peeve #1




"Hi Mugs... Wala lang, tawag lang."

It was a text message I already received twice in a row. The first one I got yesterday. It was from a friend from Diliman. I don't know what she's getting at, but the SMS left me slightly annoyed.

Maybe it meant nothing. It might be a "papansin" moment hoping to stir a response. Maybe the female classmate has all the time in the world to try to connect to long lost acquaintances. Perhaps, she might be experiencing some life turbulences and is trying to see if the world still cares.

Sadly, I chose not to reply.

Forgive me for the arrogance but it is hard to break a habit. I have always known that I'm not a fan of SMS messaging. And during the very rare occasions I engaged myself in exchanging text messages with someone - for more than an hour, expect it for reasons of self-interest.

I guess this is the sad part of growing up a loner. You're so used to creating imaginary worlds and friends that it is easy to stay withdrawn from those who try to see if you're still breathing.

But how can I be a loner when I was very sociable as a kid. In fact, if its possible to sleep in the streets on weekends, I might have done so. While my social circle at school was more fluid, I didn't lack the skills to find kids to hang out with. I was even happier when I go solo on my little expeditions. Same thing happened in high school and college, I may not be part of the A-Listers, but I always belong to a tight-knit group that is notoriously known for its exclusivity. 

So why has it become a pet-peeve?

I guess it all boils down to being straight to the point. If someone wishes to speak with me, that person should already throw a topic. If the friend wanted to ask if I was able to enroll at the university, I would promptly reply to her inquiry. I guess this same line of thinking is what irked me when another friend asked "anong balita sa iyo?" on Facebook. Maybe I was expecting her to read my recently updated timeline as we chat, or maybe I just got tired after all her whining about the greatest love that got away.



I hope that revealing my pet peeves would not be used against me. It shows a crack in character, as well as my intolerance as to how other people conduct their affairs. I wish there is a way to feel, how its like to be helplessly dependent on other people's attention, like when begging someone for a walk, or texting someone to share your thoughts, which in my case, I tend to shrug.

But how can you do it Mugs, when you use your Twitter to blabber, Blog to ruminate and the Almighty to run to when your soul is being crushed?

Only then, will I truly understand and appreciate the need to reply.