Your guide to being Nicole's friend

I am a pretty awesome person, if we're being honest here. In the past six months or so I've become very easy-going. I really don't get mad that often. This is a good thing, but if I am mad that should send you a message. Here is a handy guide that lays out what makes me angry, what I do when I am angry, and how you can help fix the problem.

• When people try to tell me what I should be doing. I know what I should be doing, and if I don't know I will ask. I have no psalms with asking. But if I'm sitting around and you come in the room and say, "you should be at class," I will automatically get a flash of annoyance. I know where I'm supposed to be, I don't need a little tour guide for my life.
• When people aren't considerate or just plain rude. I believe in being kind and thoughtful. When people aren't this way, it baffles me. Didn't your mother teach you anything?
• When people take without asking, or ask while in the process of taking. If you have already committed the act, you obviously don't care if I mind that you borrowed that, or ate this. Don't mess up the order. If you want to go about it the right and polite way, you will ask and then act upon my answer. However, this doesn't always apply. If we have already discussed sharing something, then we don't need to reiterate it every time. For example- Merrin, Kathryn, and I have a community closet. We can waltz in and borrow each other's clothes whenever. It doesn't bother me when I see Merrin in my shirt, or Kathryn in my boots. We've already discussed it, it's fine. However, I very rarely have such an agreement.
• When someone insists that I discuss a problem. Maybe I don't want to. If I want to talk, then I will.
• When someone keeps talking when I'm trying to learn. Be quiet. I'm not paying to get educated on your opinions or the story of your life. I'll talk to you after class.
• When I'm going somewhere with someone and they keep talking about the time. Shut up. If we're late, we're late. You're not going to change that by continually bringing it up. You're just stressing me out.

Alright. Now onto the indicators....

• I am extremely quiet. I either don't talk, or I use very short words and sentences. I think this comes from my anger at the perpetrator's lack of intelligence, because in general that is what angers me the most, when people simply don't use their brain.
• I blow my nose.
• I am coloring
• I am blogging. This is not completely accurate. I blog when I am feeling happy, creative, bored, procratinatory (not a word. Whatever), etc.
• I am showering. When I was little and I would get sick, my parents would tell me to go shower and then go to sleep. Now I use those two procedures to relieve my stress. I always felt better after I did those two things, and I am a firm believer in their healing power.
• I am sleeping
• I avoid eye contact and will likely busy myself with my taplop or phone....or cleaning.
• My bedroom is getting dirty. This derives from my immense love of cleaning and organization. It is basically therapy for me. If my room is getting dirty, that means that a) I am getting lazy, b) I just don't have enough time, or c) I am really mad, and I know that when my anger peaks I will want to clean something, so I make a real big mess in preparation.
• I am rigorously cleaning. Now, sometimes this does not mean that I am angry. It actually probably means that I am quite content, bc I've just been able to clean my room. However, if i'm cleaning, I must be allowed to listen to my music and just get it all done. I don't like cleaning in stages, it'll all be one massive production.
• I leave. A lot of the time I just prefer to not be around the people I am upset with. I will leave the room or house or whatever.
• I will look outside. I actually do this a lot, bc I love nature, but when I am mad especially. I think it's because I love nature so much that looking outside is one of my first impulses when I am angry. I may even go take a walk.

Now what can you do if you are the one I am angry with?

• Do NOT! try to talk with me about it if I am cleaning. I don't want to talk, I want to clean.
• Bring me a smoothie, preferably something with blueberry or peach in it. The other day someone did this for me and it was the nicest thing ever! I am still super happy about it :)
• Bring me sushi, preferably spicy California Roll with crab.
• Write me a note. I like to read rather than talk when I'm angry, bc if I talk then I might say something mean, and I don't like hurting feelings
• Give me time to gather my thoughts. Don't shoot me fearful glances whenever I enter the same room as you. Just leave me alone.
• Bring me The Lorax or any Harry Potter book

Not super original or different from any one else, but I feel like this should be general knowledge and sometimes I find that it is not.