I was doing some shopping today, in Dollar Tree, and I was listening in on a conversation between the shopper in front of me and the clerk at the counter.  As I was listening, it dawned on me that people (including myself) say some really stupid things.

Take this shopper. She was buying some noise makers and other party favors and the clerk asked her if she was getting ready to celebrate New Year's. Well, that, in itself, is somewhat stupid.

But that's not the one that really had me scratching my head. The lady looked at the clerk and said, in that "life just isn't fair" voice, "Yeah, but everything costs money."  She said it like she was just discovering some serious problem with capitalism. The clerk agreed with her as well he should, because every thing does cost money.

Now, I'm not ridiculing the woman. When I heard her, my first thought was, "Gee, she sure has hit the nail on the head."  But then, it dawned on me. Everything has to cost money. That's how the system works. Somebody makes things, somebody else buys them with money.

In the giant scheme of things, this lady's statement is at the bottom of the ridiculous list. There are plenty of other stupid things that people say.

Speaking of stupid, one of the things that really irritates me is when people say, "There's no such thing as a stupid question."  It's been said so often that many people really believe it's true. But there are stupid questions. I ask my share every day. When people make that idiotic statement to me, I reply, "You're right, just stupid people who ask questions."

Speaking of stupid questions, here's one I ask frequently. I'm speaking with someone over the phone and they ask for my phone number.  "Do you have a pencil," I ask. Sometimes, I'll just ask, "Are you ready?"  Why do I think I need to qualify the other person?  They have asked me for my number. It only makes sense that they're ready and waiting.  Whether they're using a pencil or not, is really none of my business.

Another thing that really grates on my nerves is the fellow employee who says, "God bless you," every time someone in the office sneezes.  It's really a ridiculous little vestige from pagan worship, but what gets me is that invariably there is this one woman (it's almost always women. I can't think of one man who has ever god blessed me), who will say it over and over and over. If I sneeze four times, she says it after every sneeze. I've seen the office blesser I worked with, get on an elevator and go three floors up to bless a sneeze.

One more thing that people say that, to me, is totally inane.  And I'm asked  this question all the time. I don't know why.   The question is, "Are you in a bad mood?"

There's really only one answer to that question. "I wasn't until you asked."