A fool shows his annoyance at once, but a prudent man overlooks an insult (Proverbs 12:16).

One of the first phrases that I learned in the Dutch language was "Wat vervelend!" -- "How annoying!"  I thought it was funny, still living in the American Midwest at the time, to be able to express my annoyance on the spot without the other immediately-involved people being tipped off to my annoyance.  It was that whole (idiotic and immature) "secret language" thing.  If anyone overheard me saying "Wat vervelend!" and asked what I was talking about, I would just say "Oh nothing" and go on with the conversation in a more polite way... But I look back on those experiences and feel ashamed for my foolishness.

The "Wat vervelend!" thing doesn't work as well in the Netherlands, since most of the people here know exactly what those words mean (and in case you were curious, it wouldn't work to try say "How annoying!" because Dutch people's English skills are a good bit more advanced than the average Midwesterner's Dutch skills).  Instead, I've had to learn to truly conceal my annoyance.  And I've learned that it's a pretty significant challenge!  I've learned that I'm pretty easily-annoyed -- and thus, by extension, pretty foolish.  It's more than just the verbal exclamation of annoyance thing.  It's rolling my eyes, cracking an ironic grin at a third party, shifting my body posture, shifting my tone of voice, sighing, coughing, checking the time, scrolling around on my telephone as if I have a very important text message that's just come in, arguing, running my fingers through my hair, throwing my hands up in the air... The list goes on and on... I'm embarrassed to confess how often I allow myself to show my annoyance.  But I really appreciate the opportunity that Proverbs 12:16 gives me to stop and realize all this.  It holds up a mirror for me to see the exhibitions of my annoyances.

I don't want to be a fool.  I don't want to be one of those perpetually-annoyed people.  On the contrary, I want to be a patient, prudent, gracious, gentle person who can overlook an insult and brush annoyance off like some pesky moth.  So I guess I'd better drop the "Wat vervelend"s from my vocabulary and start acting the part I want to play.