As hiding under the bed, hands over ears, chanting la-la-la at the top of one’s lungs seems impractical, at least in the long term, our options would seem to be somewhat limited. However, on reflection it occurs to me that we should simply bookmark for now what we believed (erroneously) to be reality and change tactics – namely, stop being the annoyees and decide to become the annoyers.

Think about it. For too long we have politely ignored the loud voices, the irritating insistence that we book ahead, take five minutes to fill out that survey, engage in all the tiresome shenanigans corporate America (especially) has subjected us to. We’ve politely sidestepped the backpack pushing against us in the subway, the too-loud music the waiter has no control over at the pub when all we want is a quiet drink, the endless alerts and other intrusions into our lives. And with, er, international relations having become unhinged, our desire to stay informed is now seriously at odds with a natural wish to stay sane.

Like Schroedinger’s cat, better to focus on revenge:

(Yes boys and girls, the best humour always will have some science.)*

So, thinking ahead here, rather than just seethe quietly, it may be time to start making more noise, annoying the world as much as it has annoyed us. I’m not totally sure how to go about it but oh, I don’t know. Write letters. Rant at strangers (the horrid ones, not the nice people). Write reasonable comments in response to irritating social media posts. Stick post-its on anything poorly written. Insist they turn the music down in the restaurant. Threaten them with a bad Yelp review. Turn up the Mozart. Nitpick about grammar. Sing O Canada on a whim. Throw out your arms to remind the world, which has been pushing its way in, that you are reclaiming your personal space. What the heck, elbows out. Remind the world that you’re tired of its nonsense and you won’t take it any more.

(OK, maybe you have to take some of it but dammit, you’re not going to go quietly.)

*I apologize for not giving credit to the person who created this but it was sent to me as is and it was simply too good not to share.