Irritated

28^th October 2004 / 13 Ramadan 1425

I woke up this morning and on my way to the bathroom suddenly became really irritated, disappointed and angry - at myself. And once this kind of irritation gets under my skin, it's difficult to get it out. I just have to ride it out, I guess.

Yesterday, I was teaching a class - from 17:00 until 20:00. Just before 18:30, I duly took a break for a few seconds, went off to the water fountain and broke my fast with a drink of water. I would eat when I got home (which I did at around 21:30). But what about my Maghrib prayer? Well, I decided - as I have done the past few weeks that I have had this evening class - that I would join my Maghrib and 'Isha prayers later that night.

Got home, had something to eat, chatted and messed around with the kids for a while and then, after they had gone to bed (they had, of course, prayed their Maghrib and 'Isha earlier), went to pray.

All fine thus far, except... I forgot that I had to pray my Maghrib as well as my 'Isha! And only remembered it this morning. That kind of thing is really irritating!

It's especially irritating since I had made a kind of "Ramadan resolution" that I was going to pray all my salawat this month. I would like to outside of Ramadan as well, but every now and then I don't hear the fajr alarm (and adhaan) and that messes up the schedule. But not hearing the alarm and sleeping through fajr is excusable; forgetting my Maghrib is less so! (Before anyone says it: I know that forgetting to pray is as good an excuse as sleeping through it, but hey, I'm allowed to have my own pet irritations now and then.)

So there goes my resolution. And here is my irritable self for the rest of today. I hope I don't get bugged by any students.