I’m not an all-around Little Miss Sunshine when it comes to my day-to-day disposition. I certainly have my dramas and issues. But, I’d like to keep a general positive outlook for many reasons. And, well, I find negativity just too much of a drag.
That’s why whenever I get asked about people or things that I hate, I often shrug and say that I try not to hate too many people and things. I find such things draining, so I prefer ambivalence. If I don’t love or like someone or something, chances are, I don’t give them that much thought. I just don’t see the point in giving too much time or energy on people and situations that do not add anything to my life – or to the life of people I care about the most.
Admittedly, that wasn’t always the case. There was a time when I cared too much. I cried over hate mails and nasty comments. But, I learned that there was no point in giving that much power over me to people and things that shouldn’t really matter at all.
The last couple of days, however, I find myself in an unusual situation of being just so angry.
It started off with little annoyances. A minor car accident over the weekend that damaged my car. Traffic that got me to work way later than I liked. Rude people. Snide comments from insensitive people. Work-related stress and little niggles. Dealing with immaturity. Mediocrity. Getting stuck in a building. Rising emails in my inbox, no matter how many emails I’ve already answered. To Do Lists that just keep getting longer. Unsolicited advice.
I probably can keep going on with this list, but yes, the little annoyances seem to be piling up faster than I can deal with them the last few days. So, I got more and more agitated.
I bit my tongue time and time again, to avoid upsetting others. Yes, even though they are upsetting me.
But the more I keep quiet, the angrier I got.
UPDATE: *Supporting this cause doesn’t mean just supporting the organisation, Invisible Children (the ones who made the film and created a lot of awareness for this situation). If you feel compelled to find different ways to support those who have been affected by Joseph Kony’s crimes, you’re encouraged to look for different organisations that are doing similar work and offer your support to an organisation that you feel most comfortable with.
And, I was suddenly ashamed of my anger about things that don’t really matter. What are my little annoyances compared to the suffering of thousands of people?
If I have any excess time and energy to be angry, I need to direct that anger to people like Joseph Kony.
The most dreadful people I have ever met, worked with, and/or had to deal with in different ways cannot compare to this man – and those like him. And yes, I have personally encountered some really horrid people (child molesters, workplace bullies, physical abusers, etc).
How can one man’s quest for nothing but power bring so much pain and hardship? Several lives, lost forever.
That’s why I hope that it becomes a cause that we can all take part in*.
So, if you haven’t watched the film yet, please take the time to do so (UPDATE: Also read: Joseph Kony: What’s the real story? coverage from The Guardian) –
KONY 2012 from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
Signing the pledge, sharing the film to as many people as we can reach, and supporting the cause in whatever way we can may seem insignificant, but I’d like to think that it can – and will – make a difference somehow.
I know that this will not change my little annoyances, or my capacity to get angry at the stupidest things… But, supporting causes such as this reminds me to keep such annoyances in perspective and just consider them “little”. There are always bigger things to be concerned about.
