Angry Old Man

Do you know what it’s like to be an angry old man?

Probably not, I suspect that very few of the people reading this are old men. Of course little girls can be angry as can be young women and men, but for the most part they are justified in being angry. Well, they are justified in their own minds.

I have a friend or two on facebook and they seem to be angry at something or other all of the time. Sometimes it is when the government give a pay raise to some group they don’t feel deserves it. Sometimes the government won’t give a raise to some group they feel should have a raise. Sometimes (most times) they are angry because the group that my friend is a part of just doesn’t get their own way. Another friend gets upset about work or her family. Sometimes the neighbours don’t behave the way they should. Every time I read one of those posts I just shrug and think to myself. “That is just the way life is for 99% of the world.” Things just don’t always go the way you would like.

I get angry about the stupid stuff too. I get mad when someone is driving in front of me and is only going the speed limit. I suspect I would be happier if no one was in front of me at all no matter what speed they are driving. I get angry when the city road crews can’t figure out how to plough the snow off of the road, even though I don’t have to drive to work when it is really bad. I get mad when I find myself standing in the basement with no idea why I am there. I am more mad at myself I suppose than the magical imp that stole the thought right out of my mind.

I think anger is a part of the human condition. Yesterday some very angry people killed hundreds of innocents that live in Paris because not everyone agrees with their narrow view of the world. I don’t know what there problems are and what they are angry about, but I suspect that there would be a better way to deal with the problem. Maybe they should look at their problem from as many sides as their tiny minds can see. People die every day and rarely does that sway governments to change their policies. It has the opposite effect generally and I fear that this last terrorist attack will drive a wedge in that can not be removed. We will see I suppose.

The anger I mean when I say “angry old man” is of a different type. It is anger that has no reason what so ever. No one was driving in front of me, no one got a raise, no one went to work, and the neighbours are fine, nothing happened in Paris, the government is doing just fine and no one is pissing me off. Well, everyone is pissing me off, and everything. I am just angry with no particular reason. I feel like I am walking on the edge of a precipice and I know that I will fall sooner than later. I am watching this being that looks like me and I have no idea how I can stop him from being such an asshole.

I have had this happen often before and I am comforted that it will pass with hardly any lasting effects. Well, other than hurting those that shouldn’t be hurt.