Jesus, People
Some of you (hi, Tad) might find this hard to believe, but I’m actually a pretty happy person, normally. I’m optimistic, I love my fellow man, and my default setting – when I’m drunk, drugged, or newly awake – is happy.
Every morning, I wake up in a reasonably good mood. Between 5:30 and 8:00 a.m., though, I encounter so many bitchy, miserable, hateful people, that I end up in a bad mood, too.
Part of it is undoubtedly due to my workplace. Apparently, many of the hundreds of people who work here dislike it, and just being here makes them radiate unhappiness. And that’s understandable, I guess.
A lot of it is probably due to the traffic. I get stressed out by traffic, myself, and hence I choose to live close to my work and my childrens’ schools, so that I don’t have to deal with aggravating commutes twice a day. I understand that not everyone has the freedom to make that choice, though, so I’m trying to mellow out and be more empathetic on the road.
However, I stand by my supposition that a lot of people are just miserable bastards, and that the government should consider putting antidepressants in our water. Seriously, y’all – it’s not necessary to angrily peel out and swerve in the parking lot. You’re going to get parking and make it into work, I promise.
It’s not necessary to make faces at the customer getting coffee while you’re trying to put a stack of cups near where she’s standing. She sees you, she’s going as fast as she can, and you’re getting paid the same whether you put the cups there now or twenty seconds from now.
It’s so not necessary to roll your eyes at the woman who wants to ride the elevator for only one floor. You don’t know – she might have a good reason for doing so that has nothing to do with laziness. And even if she is just lazy, what the hell do you care? Are you in that much of a hurry to get to the job that apparently makes you miserable?
I have an irritable temper sometimes. I admit it. But if I were to let myself get pissed off about everything that I see others getting pissed off about every morning, I’d probably have a heart attack. Or, at least, an ulcer. Calm down, people. If you’re so unhappy, change your freaking lives. Quit hating on others. It’s not their fault that your life sucks.
In the meantime, I’m going to continue trying to be happy. Fuck you if you don’t like it.
