Stress Relief

" The dangerous thing about listening is that you don’t really know the effect it’s going to have. "

-Tori Amos

A boy asks his father to explain the differences

among irritation,

aggravation, and frustration.

His father picks up the phone and dials a number at

random. When the

phone is answered, he asks, "Can I speak to Bill,

please?"

"No! There’s no one called Bill here," says the person

who answered

the phone.

His father hangs up. "That’s irritation," he says.

He picks up the phone again, dials the same number,

and asks for Bill

a second time.

"No, there’s no one here called Bill. Go away. If you

call again I

shall telephone the police," the person says.

His father hangs up and says, "That’s aggravation."

"Then what’s frustration?" asks his son. The father

picks up the phone

and dials the same number a third time.

"Hello, this is Bill. Have I received any phone

calls?" he asks

casually.