Blog No. 39
It’s amazing that something as small as not getting the right coffee in the morning can throw off your whole day. It does for me at least (but come on, how do you mess up a black coffee)? There are all kinds of things big and small that can make a good day turn sour (or a not so good day get worse). Everyone has their different triggers and tolerances (that often vary from day to day) but everyone has those bad days now and again. I know I’m not alone with some of my triggers. Work, health, difficult people and all the little annoyances that add up each day can push us over the edge. Sometimes it’s even friends and family that do away with that last nerve (but I don’t need to go into detail about that).
Work is often a pain and lately there have been a lot of schedule mix ups. If you have ever dealt with that situation, you know how big a pain it is to have to check your schedule every day and match it to the office schedule to try and find any errors. I am not a fan of showing up for an eight hour shift and finding out that it’s going to be six hours (or ten). Specifically this week I have also had to deal with decorators making a mess (which I get to clean – yay!), stupid calls from people not knowing where they are actually calling (just because we have “hall” in our name doesn’t mean we are city hall) and the ubiquitous rude and difficult people all public facilities have to face. On any given day I am required to face such challenges, but when they all pile up it’s hard to keep your cool.
Outside of work isn’t always a peach either. Last weekend I was under the weather. Few things put a strain on a temperament as not feeling well. Luck for me it was a short bout that didn’t interfere with work much, but it any illness is draining, and going to work the next day was a struggle. On top of that the basement where I live is having a bit of a struggle itself. There is water, and anyone who has experienced that knows how relentlessly frustrating that can be. Really I feel for my brother on that one, he’s the one who is going to have to fit the bill, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a pain for me too – I’m the one who lives down there.
Even though those two alone are enough to bring the most stalwart man down, the one that tops them all is my writing group. It’s now been two weeks since we have gotten together and both were last minute cancellations. I know I’ve talked about the solitude of writers, but I have been really relying on those meetings. They have been the weekly boost I need to keep my writing on track. I know there are extenuating circumstances (Christian had a really solid one this week and I have already missed two because of work) but that doesn’t temper the disappointment. Hopefully we can find a way to make up the time and redouble our efforts.
Wow, that was one really long pity party, but I feel better already for having vented. Even when life is being a huge jerk it’s important to dwell on the good things. I am healthy for the most part – even with having that bad day. I am not starving, I have a great family I can count on, I have a job (but not much of one some days), and my friend is visiting.
Things really are pretty good for me and there are lots of things that can get me up when I’m feeling down. Number one on my list (other than previously mentioned) is always music. Hearing that one good track it enough to change my whole outlook. Some people like to say that people are what changes their mood, but people are usually my problem so they have to be pretty special to make me feel better. Sometimes just leaving the situation is enough for me. It may be due my short attention span (I can’t hold grudges even when I want to). How do you make the change? It can be as simple as doing something you like or as difficult as trying to resort your life (something may be wrong, especially if you’re down all the time). Is it all how you look at things? Is it how you are as a person? Is it something in your head (which doesn’t mean it isn’t real!)? The whole thing is a confusing mess of personal preference and individualism but at least venting is a pretty universal method of felling better. It’s working already.
Ben Van Dongen 