Anger Management

I've read a lot lately on Facebook, blogs, the interwebs.  I'm reading a lot of anger.  People are angry.  About a lot of things.  Sweet little old neighbors are getting bullied by ruffians, people of all races, ages, sexes, orientations, religious beliefs, they're all be discriminated against by somebody.  Amazing friends who would give you the shirt off their back or last dollar just can't get a break.  Taxes are higher, we may not be able to afford milk soon, politicians lie to us.  And we're angry.  All of us, we're angry, about something, someone, somewhere.

So, I'm reading these things, and I'm getting angry.  The author's anger is filling me up and I'm ready to burst until I want to scream STOP!  And so I did.  And I realized, I was screaming at the writers, not the sufferers.

Because we all suffer.  Sometime, Somehow, Someway.

I can't STOP the suffering.  We will always suffer.  We always be doing not right by somebody.  But I can choose to put more good in the world than bad.  I can choose to love.

Nothing is ever fixed by anger, my friends.  I'm sitting here writing this right now and there is anger happening in my bedroom.  Hubby and I have had a tiff.  I'm angry, he's angry.  Neither one of us is healing.  He's in there sulking.  I'm in here writing.  Why?  Because I remembered that I wanted to tell you all this.  I wanted to say, anger never fixes anything.  If you don't believe me, go ask hubby, I can hear his teeth grinding between 2 closed doors!

Recently I read an awesome article about what I hope to find is an awesome book.  It was by a man who befriended many members of the KKK over the years.  He wanted to understand them, he wanted them to understand him.  And so they did, and friendships were forged.  Oh, I forgot to mention, he's black.  Here's a link to an article if you'd like to read it, it's on my hopper to read, the book that is:  http://www.amerika.org/politics/interview-with-darryl-davis-author-of-klan-destine-relationships/  and then today I watched a video by my favorite you tube personality, Kid President, here's the link to that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4_-yXiRcjM&feature=youtu.be

Together, they made me remember, anger solves nothing.  But kindness, concern, generosity, understanding, those can solve a whole heck of a lot.  Maybe if we don't yell when we're angry, if we take a deep breath and choose to get to know our enemy, they will become a friend, and there will be more love in the world, and that, my friends, is always a good thing.

I've started a new game with one of my friends, maybe you want to play along?  ( I know Kid President would play with me if he read this, why?  because he's awesome!)  With me or with a friend of your own, but here's how it goes.  We have pledged that everyday we will text each other with a statement that start with "Today I" and finishes with something that we have done that day to make the world a better place for someone somewhere.  This does not have to be a big thing at all.  Today I sent: "Today I reminded my friend what he does"  My friend sent "Today I am a hero to my kids.  Today I listened intently to their adventures."  Maybe tomorrow I will see a woman who looks like life has beaten her down and I will find something to compliment, her hair, her shoes, her coat, there's always something nice you can say.  And maybe for that moment only her shoulders will be a bit higher, maybe she will smile.  But for that moment I will have made the world better.  Maybe I'll buy a scratchy game and put it on some random car in the parking lot, or clean the dog poop from some dog out of my neighbors yard because they don't even have a dog and neither do I, or maybe I'll listen to some child's very long, random, pointless story as if it's the most important thing I've ever heard, or send an awesome gift to someone from Kid President's suggestions.  So fill the comments section up with your "Today I" send it to me in a message, put on FB.  Let's play!  We really can make a difference every day, even if just in a small way, besides, sometimes that small thing to you, is a miracle to someone else.

Tonight I'll just go to bed, snuggle in to my angry husband, kiss his head, tell him I love him while he sleeps and remember that anger solves nothing and maybe he'll read this tomorrow and give me a surprise random kiss and remember that anger solves nothing.  Both of those things will just put more love in the world.  I like the idea, more love in the world.