Have you ever noticed someone at a crosswalk, pushing the walk light over and over again as if it will make the mechanism change the light faster in their favor? (Tip: It operates on a timer. The button only tells the light for crossing to turn on when it is safe to cross with the traffic signals.)

Or how someone keeps clicking the same button over and over again on a computer to open files or programs, only to get no further response – or even cause the computer to crash? (Tip: If it doesn’t open the first time, clicking on a button will not make the processor speed up to open your files or program. Every click either will cause the computer to open multiple windows of the same file, or just adds more processes for the computer to perform, slowing down the computer further or crashing the processor completely.)

How about the person who is led about by their dog tugging on the leash? Have you ever wondered who is the master and who is the pet? (Tip: If a dog is leading, he is in charge. Just a fact in the psychology of dog packs. Humans are too busy thinking of dogs as humans…)

Maybe the one where people like the challenge of crossing over the top of a cord strung between table and plug instead of going around the same distance to avoid pulling the plugged in device to the floor? (No tip on this one. Sorry. The end result often ends in a damaged device followed by a sting of expletives.)

One day I was driving to an early appointment. It was during the winter, so I expected the sun to not yet be up at that time. But that morning, it was already up and shining. For some reason, I thought the axis of the earth had tilted strangely during the night, or perhaps I was late to the appointment. Nope. Neither of those things occurred. Instead, Standard Time happened…last week. And I didn’t even notice. (Tip: None. Observation doesn’t run in the family.)

Have you ever locked the door to the house upon leaving, and as the door closes behind you, realize you don’t have the key? Or, realize you forgot something and have to retrieve your keys, unlock the door, and find what you forgot? Lock up again, have the door close behind you, and remember something else you forgot? Or turned around as the door clicked shut, realizing you left your keys inside? (Note: Anyone who denies this has ever happened to them has either dealt with their own doors, or lives in an alternate universe.)

Or the person who is standing in the elevator pushing the button to go to the first floor – and they’re on the first floor already. Or the person in the elevator who keeps trying to push the floor button to go up in an elevator poised to go down. (Tip: I’m going with the odds that observation doesn’t run in their family, either.)

Ever turned the car key while the car is already running? Or turn the car key to “off” and struggle to get the key out of the slot – only to discover you’re still in Drive? (Note: Only common people with ICE cars would understand…)

Have you ever opened a door, left said door opened to do something, then forget what you were doing behind the now open door? Or worse, turn around and run into the door wondering why it was open? (Tip: Observation? Probably left the vicinity the first time you ran into the open door…I’m going with the odds on that one.)

Why do parents put floaties on the arms of their toddlers who can’t swim? The first time they put their arms in the air, they’ll discover the bottom of the pool…(Tip: Ever thought of a life jacket?)