Anger Management

"Experts believe that anger is generally best expressed (not repressed), but that it can be damaging when repressed (not known or acknowledged).  Journaling is thus an ideal outlet for aggression...."

If you work in any line of "customer service" then I'm sure you can relate.  My present job puts me in the hot seat taking service calls from people who feel inconvenienced, are pissed, irate, and downright rude.  They hold me and my co-workers personally responsible for the malfunctioning "machines" at their disposal.  It is the epitome of shooting the messenger.  

I have been reading a lot lately - something I have the luxury to do in-between being abused by the people mentioned above.   My opening quote is from a book I purchased regarding "journaling" out my anger.  It suggests I journal 5 to 10 minutes every day asking me to answer the question....."Why people are like that today"....... 

WHY?  Why indeed?  It made me think of a quote from George Carlin (one of my all time favorites)  He said:

"Just think of how stupid the average person is, and then realize that half of them are even stupider".

Why are people like that today???  Why??  If I ask myself that question every day - and fill something in will I ever really know why people are like that today?  Is it any wonder I always say I hate people ???  But I can't take credit for that.  Seems Eda St. Vincent Millay said it first....

"I Love humanity; but I hate people".......

AeroNOT

...I think I am going to change my ID from Aeronut to Aeronot...  I had been wondering WTF happened to them, but it's pretty obvious it's a money thing.  Maybe in their old age they are fearing there will be no Social Security for them to collect?

I used to be an Aeroforce One fan club member for years.  As a member you earned points and worked you way UP in seniority when it came to getting tickets.  They used to HOLD tickets at all venues in the first 10 rows for the fan club members.  Tickets were available to members usually 10 days before they went on sale to the general public.  As you moved up in seniority and points, so did you seats.  Made you feel special paying those dues each year.  Awesome perk for the die-hard fan, right?    And the dues were reasonable - $35 got you a fancy membership card, collector pin, signed picture, and newsletters advising what was going on (before they got online in the olden days).

 

Then.....the new millennia.  Or almost - in 1999 they decided to go with new "management" and that's when I stopped being an official PAYING fan.    The club prices went up - and we came to find out that they no longer blocked out seats for the members.  They had one phone # for you to call for maybe 7 different cities on sale the same day (so it was next to impossible to get thru) and only that day to call.   Seats in the front sections now were open to the "High Rollers" or "Members" who purchased the "Concert Ticket Packages" that were just Ob$cene.  For the money they wanted I would have expected a sit down dinner with the band before hand, but you got a tour of the stage a laminated pass but no meet and greet.  I suppose for $1000 or more you could have. WTF?  I need a friggin Sugar Daddy to take me to see Aerosmith because my part-time job can't pay for it!  

 

I used to joke years ago that I needed a part-time job to pay for concert tickets.  Actually back then the most I paid for a prime seat - on the floor - center stage row 4 - $45.00.    The same ticket today costs anywhere from $250 to $750.   It's no joke - you actually DO need a second job to go see your favorite band.   As I look back thru all the ticket stubs I've saved from the many Aerosmith concerts in particular, I feel  I have more than paid for the privilege of seeing them and no longer need to fatten their purses .

The United States Post Office

I have been trying to keep a Positive attitude this new year (which is probably why I haven't written) but it has been very hard.  Major calamities don't seem to rattle me as much as the little things - probably why someone wrote that book "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" ?  But this small stuff just put me over the moon.......

I purchased some Valentines Day cards and seeing that one for my daughter & her husband required "extra postage" I decided it would be best just to go to the post office and mail it from there and purchase a book of stamps while I was at it.  I love cards - sending e-mail greetings and E-Cards is fun, but it's just not the same as a paper card in hand.  It tells the person you thought enough to read thru dozens and pick that one out personally for them.  Not the same as pointing and clicking.  Anyway, I digress. 

Have you ever stood in line at the Post Office on a Saturday morning before a holiday?   HA!  Let me tell you..........20 minutes in line, but I'm a people watcher so it did have its amusements.  When I get to the counter the woman tells me she is "NEW".  That SHOULD have told me something, but I was caffeine deprived having hit the Post Office before WAWA.  OK - I'm not mailing a package - I have 3 envelopes - should be easy.  One will require 2 stamps.  Not rocket science.  She says "this is only an ounce - doesn't require extra postage".....that's when the little siren went off in my head.  Maybe the card manufacturer had a typo on the envelope and it didn't require extra postage.  After all  I am AT the Post Office - they should KNOW.  Right?  Wrong......

Flash forward 9 days.....NINE DAYS.......card finally arrives......with 20 Cent postage due.    Well not actually FLASH forward .   Can someone explain to me how it took 9 days to get to my Daughter's door and have someone ask for 20 cents?  Nine days?  Did it sit in the post office in Stafford Virginia in a postage due pile that they only look at once a week?  Maybe every other Monday?  I can not fathom how it took 9 days.  

See - that's what I mean about the small stuff .  I think I just don't have patience for people who don't take price in the job (no matter how small).  I don't have patience for ignorance - unfortunately, you just can't help stupid I'm afraid. 

Oh well......wondering now when UPS or Fed X will come up with something to counter-act the mail.   Think of all the new jobs it would create.