Just ruined my day

Have you ever noticed that sentences that start with the word "Just" usually lead to frustration?

Take, for instance, when you go to the doctor. You sign in at the front desk and the person behind the counter will usually say, "Just have a seat and we will get you right back there." You are usually sick and don't feel good in these instances and a minute can seem like an eternity anyway. But I often become frustrated because the "get you right back" portion of that sentence does not seem to happen. Usually, 30 minutes or more pass and I am by then both sick and aggravated.

Now once you get back into the examination room the "just" phenomenon happens once again. The nurse will take your vital signs and ask what is wrong, then you hear it, "Just relax and the doctor will be right in." The doctor is never right in and when he does get there they really should retake my vital signs because I'm sure my blood pressure will have climbed a couple of points.

The "just" episodes also take place at automobile repair places. You go into the establishment and tell the guy the problem you're having with your car and then he says, "Just have a seat in the waiting room and we will get you right out." Hours later they will wander in with your keys and a bill or in some cases they will come out and tell you that your car will need to have a sleepover at their shop. Neither of these would equate to "right out" if you ask me.

Sometimes even your friends will hit you with a "just" statement. Like if they are recommending someone they have used to provide a service for you. "Just tell the plumber that I sent you and he will give you a better deal," is something you could hear from a friend. When you contact the plumber and mention your friend's name and they say "who" it is probably a pretty good indication that you won't be getting a deal.

But I would have to say my biggest "just" frustration would come from being directed by a store or website on how to get a refund. You buy an item or order an item and it breaks or isn't exactly what you need. So you call the customer service line and an automated voice says "Just dial zero to reach a customer service representative." Then there are 14 additional automated menu gauntlets you have to navigate through in order to finally talk to a real live human being. You explain your problem and then you hear it, "Just hold for a second while I pull up your account." Wherever this customer service person lives must track time differently than I do because their second would calculate to around 10 minutes in my world.

Beware of the "just" statements. They have the potential to ruin your day. I guess it is all about perspective and how you view the world. Maybe "just" isn't bad.

If you are a crotchety, old grump like me maybe, we are getting our "just" desserts. Because we "just" can't leave well enough alone.