Descriptive Essay: Pet Peeve

Everyone has pet peeves. I do too. To name a few of my many pet peeves, I absolutely hate when people talk to me when I have headphones on, because for me, having headphones on is a "do not disturb" sign, and I find it extremely infuriating when someone interrupts my "me time." I also hate when people use nonsensical abbreviations like, "k" for "okay," or "ppl" for "people" while texting. I understand when someone uses "u" to replace "you," or "y" instead of  "why," but what in the world does "tru" mean? How long will it take you to type out that one last letter in the word "true?" And for the people who use the "abbreviated texting saves time" excuse, How much of your precious time were you able to save by skipping out that last letter?

Though all pet peeves can prove to be extremely infuriating, the one that annoys me the most is when people sneeze or cough without covering their mouths. I strongly believe that this pet peeve of mine should be adopted by our society and the world at large, more so in the context of the past one and a half years, thanks to the deadliest global phenomenon that is, COVID-19. Covering our mouths while sneezing and coughing might seem like an insignificant and inconsequential task, but when seen in retrospect, this "inconsequential" task has proved to be a life-saving act over the COVID era.

Parents teach their children early into their childhood to cover their mouths while sneezing or coughing. Though it is taught as a basic public etiquette at home, in schools, and basically everywhere else, many people seem to view it as an expendable and cumbersome chore. Covering your sneeze and cough is not just for good manners or public etiquette, doing so helps reduce the spread of germs and viruses significantly.

In our recent experience of living in the midst of a deadly global pandemic, it has proved to be one of the most important and effective ways to curb, and stop the spread of the deadliest virus of the century. We should make it a habit to cover our sneeze and cough to protect ourselves and the people around us. It should come to you as a reflex reaction when you sneeze or cough- not just in public, but in private too.

It's the year 2021, and I think everyone- from innocent children to stubborn adults, everyone understands just how important it is for us to practice proper hygiene etiquette. Such healthy practices can not only help prevent the spread of illnesses, they can also save countless precious lives. Don't do it for superficial reasons or to look good in the public view. Do it to save lives.