Do you know the feeling when the world around you seems to include too many unfriendly, annoying people? When so many people seem to feel the need to make unnecessary comments, gestures or bigger problems?

I have had that feeling for months now (in fact, when I come to think about it, maybe years!). Oh dear, I am currently annoyed by so many people!

By the youngsters that need to listen to loud (and bad) music on their phone. By the bus driver who needs to make an unfriendly comment when I ask him to wait a second for my friend who is pushing a stroller, carrying a baby and dragging a suitcase behind. By the guy who needs to state that the little one is recalcitrant although she obviously has a bloody bandage around her head. By the whole unfriendly team of the food court at Munich train station that wouldn’t allow me to sit down at one of their tables with the little one although I purchased food there. By the woman that tells me not to bring the stroller into the ice-cream shop when buying ice cream. By everyone who blows cigarette smoke into my face. By everyone who doesn’t stop at the crosswalks. By the unfriendly people at the toll stations along the border. By my colleague who invites friends over for prosecco although she knows that I am meeting her on her demand after 8pm at her place in order to plan an event. By the guy in the car who almost ran over us on the sidewalk because he was racing a friend. By our building committee who consists of actually very nice and friendly people but somehow things are always implemented differently than discussed. By the people in the supermarket who think they can queue-jump without even asking. By the guy in the car who makes aggressive gestures because I am walking on the street in a construction zone although I had no other choice to walk there as the pedestrian diversion simply ended 20 meters before the sidewalk started again. By the people trying to sell health insurances on the phone who would get incredibly impudent when being told to stop calling. And by my colleague again who doesn’t get back to me although I specifically asked her to answer as soon as possible.

Last week, I sat down on the couch and an idea popped into my mind. How about finding a house far away from everyone else? Somewhere at the seaside or in the mountains. With a big garden so we could almost be self-sufficient? And more importantly, self-determined! And it would only be us! Just our little universe. We’d find a job that could be done via home office. No annoying co-workers, no annoying bureaucracy and we ourselves could decide who to meet! In the evening, we would sit in the garden and we could talk, about god and the world, without thinking of other people to overhear our conversations. And Karsten could listen to his music as loud as he’d love to. It sounded awfully tempting!!

But then I thought of the birthday bbq. Of our numerous friends. Of the little one’s friends. Of her running around with her friends, laughing and giggling her way through the day. Of countless game nights and dinners. Of the nice guy in the Asia market this week who gave the little one her first fortune cookie. Of my director who’d leave an Easter gift on my desk. Of our neighbours who would always help out.

And then friends from Finland visited us last weekend. We had a full house and it was such a great time!

And I decided that it’s not too bad after all to have people around you. Actually it’s pretty awesome!