By Kevin Devlin

     Some things that people do annoy others. Sure they do. It certainly annoys me to the point that I merely shake my head in disbelief. So, I’d like to share my thoughts, and my frustrations with you, and see what you think. I also intend to share the thoughts-the gripes-of others. 

     Bobby Foscaldo from Roslindale has a gripe. It annoys him that cities (no, citizens) pay big money to have their streets and roadways paved over and then utility companies come in and dig them up for one project or another. The streets are then patched up with only blacktop and when winter comes, potholes litter the landscape. Why pay big money for the eventuality of potholes subsequently causing damage to vehicles, and inflicting more costs on the average citizen? It doesn't make sense as far as our concerned citizen is concerned.

     Anthony "Wheels" DeMarco is back on the gripe line. He has a bunch he would like to share with us. He doesn't like the driver who is on the cell phone or listening to the walkman and is too busy, too preoccupied by these concerns to flip a directional switch when taking a right or a left. He doesn't have much love for people who litter the streets with losing lottery scratch tickets, or people in supermarkets that have 18 items in the express line that (supposedly)limits people to only 8 to 12 items.

     Wheels also has zero tolerance for the MTV shows such as Real World and Spring Break that are on the tube during after-school hours. The station, as far as he's concerned, prides itself on teaching "safe sex" but then airs shows with young males and females "promoting" sex. He feels its hypocrisy at its best. And finally, Wheels can't stomach people who momentarily park in handicapped spots to run an errand or quickly get a cup of coffee. No mercy for those who disregard this as far as he's concerned.

     Joyce Higgins, aka the "Admiral" has a gripe. She has a gripe about those who gripe. Joyce feels that life is too short, and that we need to make the best of it, enjoy every moment. She feels that people shouldn't waste their time on the negative stuff in life. Just cherish what we have. This certainly could be good advice from a young lady who always has a smile on her face.

      Without doubt, the Admiral's anti-gripe attitude was not lost on me, as I subsequently went shopping at Shaw's Supermarket on the boulevard. There were two young women, perhaps in their early thirties, waiting in line. They were complaining that there were only about four cashiers working and the shopping lines weren't moving as quickly as they would have liked. With their shopping carts filled to the brim with bread, milk, hamburger, tonic, water, cookies, and other goodies, they continued griping about the slow service.

     As I (patiently) stood near them, I couldn't help but wonder how the people in New Orleans were feeling on this particular day. I bet if they had the chance to be here and waiting to go home with bagfuls of food, they wouldn't be griping about waiting in line.

     It goes to show you that everything in life is relative.

     And, that perhaps, the Admiral may be right.

     (Writer's Note: People do annoying things that really bother us, all of us. So, what's your gripe? Send them into SBOL)