I've got some explaining to do....

Two of my pet peeves are people who feel they have to continue to explain something even when they've been told they have been understood and those who don't tell me that they already understand something I'm taking valuable time explaining.

The later is obvious, I really appreciate it when people say "Hey, I get it." Those are thoughtful and nice people. Thanks to anyone who has actually do this to me. On the other hand, I've noticed that not many people are like me. I recently had someone get extremely upset with me when I informed them that I understood the situation and the lengthy explanation was not needed.

On a different occasion, an acquaintance was trying to console me when discussing my aunt's recent death. She wasn't aware of my atheism and proceeded to go into great detail about how my aunt was not suffering and in a better place. I could tell it was going to be a long lecture so I quietly said "thanks, but I'm an atheist and I don't believe in heaven or hell." To my surprise and relief she stopped right away and expressed simple and appropriate sympathy for my loss.

I'm just guessing here but I got the feeling she appreciated me letting her know that I would not have been comforted by her explanation and thus spared her and me the agony of time spent talking about something I didn't believe and she was just quoting as a Christian. If a person is going to talk to me about their religion then I have every right to express my lack of belief. It's only fair, right?