One of the most annoying thing, for me at least, is to have people state the obvious. I mean, why state it at all when it is OBVIOUS?
The number of people who’ll tell you the phone is ringing when you are STANDING RIGHT THERE IN THE SAME ROOM with them is unbelievable. The list includes mothers, fathers, mothers in law, house-helps and also sundry other neighbors, relatives and friends, whoever may happen to be around, gender no bar.
Makes me wonder, do they think the ring of the phone, loud enough to wake the dead (and here I am still alive!), travels via some secret circuit directly (and only) to their ears and it is their duty to pass the information on to me?
I positively hate this unnecessary relaying of information, but people around me seem to enjoy doing it a lot.
Close cousin to ‘The phone is ringing!’ is ‘The doorbell is ringing’ and sometimes ‘The dog is barking’. Never mind that the doorbell breaks your eardrum and the dog can be heard at the house at the end of the street.
There are others like, ‘The water on the stove is boiling!’ Obviously. I didn’t keep it on the stove for it to be frozen.Right? Why wouldn’t it boil when there is a flame burning below? Then there are those who state the obvious on something you have said on Facebook or on your blog. But that requires a separate post and so I am not going there.
I am sorely tempted to ask those who act as middlemen conveying vital information on which I should act pronto,
“Really?! Is it? I didn’t hear/see/know/whatever anything at all!”
What if I really did ask? Will it make them think, ‘OMG, she is actually <hearing impaired, sight impaired, forgetful, whatever> Good thing I told her’?
In that case the joke would be on me. My effort at sarcasm will have backfired. So I am better off with my polite facade and pointed silence intended to convey that I don’t appreciate their role of go-betweens.
©Shail Mohan 2016
Shail's Nest 
Yeppp its reflex reaction that happens and surprisingly everywhere! Doesn’t bother me as much because i come with an “is it? Thanks for informing me.” answer each time.
It is more of the tendency to micro manage, not reflex action. 😉 Good that it doesn’t bother you. I dislike being treated like an infant by anyone.
Next time they do that you could probably retort saying, ‘ thanks for telling me ‘. Maybe they will get the message !!
Maybe they will, but am I up to it? That’s another story 😛
“Really?” is usually my response.
IF I opened my mouth definitely more than that would pop out 😉
The phone is ringing — yes, i can hear
There’s someone up front — that is clear
Barking is only of dogs
Yes, i’ve donned new togs
And OH, my hair is cut! Oh dear dear!
My hair is surely cut 🙂 Nice one, Gul.