On Friday I was having lunch with a few colleagues and one of them was having a seriously bad day. He was in a pickle about several things, all coming under the umbrella of “it’s all f^d” – management and the general state of the country bearing the brunt of his anger. The more he went on, the more he wound himself up. I actually thought he was going to blow a gasket at one point. The thing was that while I completely agreed with what he was saying, I wasn’t at all angry about it. It was a brilliant full-blown rant and I actually had to restrain myself from laughing out loud, not helped by another colleague who kept shooting knowing glances in my direction.
There are plenty of things to be angry about. I have similarly ranted offline and on here about the same things that my colleague was getting worked up about. I could totally understand where he was coming from. I could write a list of things that irritate me about the way “things” are going right now (already have in fact, see archive for details), but I realise that there is very little I can do about them.
At work the most I can do is quietly point out that there might be a better way of doing things. My arguments will probably fall on deaf ears, but I can’t do any more than make suggestions and hope that at some point I might be in a position to organise things more sensibly. On political issues the best I can do is write things down here. I am not a member of any party and even if I was I have no desire to try and pull myself up the greasy pole to a position of influence. It’s not my bag. That means that what I think is of very little consequence to anyone at all. So although I understand there is virtually nothing I can do about the state of “things” I have come to terms with it and am supremely relaxed about it.
What’s the point, after all, about getting worked up about something which you cannot change? Why ruin your day? I prefer to laugh at the absurdity of a situation than get myself into a frenzy about it. I am often found at my desk laughing hysterically at some ridiculous nonsense that has been placed in front of me. When anyone asks what on Earth I am chuckling about I say “you have to either laugh or cry”.
Nothing illustrates pointless anger about the world than the aggression of Tube users during rush hour. Yesterday morning I treated myself to the Underground because it was bucketing down at commute o’clock. It’s amazing to watch how nasty and vindictive commuters can be. They vie for the best spot to launch their incursion into the carriage, they try to outwit their competitors in their desire for a seat or the perfect standing place. They barge, they jostle, they snarl. And I just stand there, serenely, letting people glance off my slow-moving body and laughing to myself at the pointlessness of it all.
You seem to be ahead of the game in the serenity stakes….I was rather older than you before I hit upon ways of making myself genuinely happy and since then life is a whole lot more fun for me and for those around me.
And here was me thinking you were doing a movie review in this post…
Ditto with JuliaM, I was looking forward to reminiscing about “Firefly”.
Huh?
Pointless, yet strangely predictable.
Blue, it seems clear that you and i would get around the smoke in a haze of self induced mutual serenity – before some chunt (a sort of `chav cross` creature I’ve just invented) decided to have a go at us for being too smug.
‘Chunt’ I like that..
“Huh?”
Here. Missing a treat if you didn’t catch it when it was on.
Hogday – the haze wouldn’t be induced by smugness now would it??? You are attempting to corrupt my innocence with beer, I can tell. But at school we were told never to accept sweets from a stranger! CHUNT sounds pretty cruel but still slightly nicer than the individual elements…
Julia – looks good might have to investigate now that Flashforward has finished.
Letters – indeed. This morning there was a piece on the radio saying that someone had done research into this phenomenon (after I posted this, I should add). I wonder how much was paid for this statement of the bleeding obvious?
‘Chunt’ – yeah I like that too. Good word that.
Chunt is now in my repertoire of witty yet cutting unwanted conversation stoppers.
MCM: PSD are going to love that. Be sure and let me know how you get on
Now look here chaps, this is a polite family oriented blog… No fucking swearing allowed, OK?
My client appears to have been misheard and was merely using the popular street-slang word `chunt`, as in `chuntering on`. I move to dismiss.
Why be serene when you can blow their bloody heads off?
the general state of the country bearing the brunt of his anger. The more he went on, the more he wound himself up.
Not writing about yourself again in the third person are we BE?
VS – and mess up my nice clean shirt?
RE – no, and if the people I was with knew about this blog they could vouch for me! As you will see tomorrow I am the epitome of relaxation and good humour at the moment.
Your cup of profundity overfloweth Blue.
Well said!
Di.x