Sarcasm Trumps Resignation

To slip into oblivion or flip the bird…

That is my question. Most of my life I have opted for retreat followed by inner bludgeoning.

Not anymore. I am committed to full-contact bird-flipping now. My inspiration?

Well, I’m sure they would not be at all thrilled to know this BUT the mindful awareness course I am currently taking talks about eMOTIONs needing to MOVE through us.

The objective is to FEEL the feeling.

Not put up ten thousand barricades around it.

This sounds fairly obvious. But when it comes to the more challenging emotions like, say, anger, I am much more likely to resist it or deflect it. To try and be bigger, kinder, more balanced or loving than IT.

Pretty much anything other than accepting it.

Which only makes me angrier. I have become such an uber professional at taking a pass on anger, that I often don’t fully realize I am angry. Especially regarding situations wherein I cannot change the circumstances.

The truth is…

The problem. Because there is no one truth!

I feel irritated, intolerant and resentful of people committed to being victims, people who refuse to climb out of their hole and become mad or hurt or spiteful if you won’t commiserate.

Maybe it’s like ex-smokers who cannot stand the smell of smoke.

When you have had to hoist yourself out of a number of holes with the generous help of loved ones it is hard to be around those who would rather pull you in than let you help pull them out.

BUT, these are the same people, who I’m pretty sure would say I am an unempathetic, impatient asshole.

So, the truth is…

There isn’t one. There is no one true point of view. No one more true person. No one story more worthy than the other. BUT, there is what’s true for me. And you.

AND, it IS true for each of us, that if we aren’t willing to feel our own anger, it will never go away. As anyone who has seen Inside Out knows, anger and sadness are often the only paths to true joy.

So, I say bring on the sarcasm!

Not so much as the stone of wit-sharpening satire.

But rather as the steam whistle that says, my personal anger kettle has come to a boiling point. And perhaps, in an effort not to inflict unnecessary collateral damage, I should excuse myself and go tend to the cranky, miscreant fireball till it has cooled off.

For the record,  some volcanoes, once erupted, can take up to 29 years to cool off.

So, snack breaks are important.

On the other hand, shallow surface lava can cool in ten to fifteen minutes.