#ragey

#ragey

As we grow older, I've heard it said that less and less seems to bother us. As I continue the march through middle-agedness (T minus 11 months to 50!), I'd like to think that this is true of me. I really would like to, but as it turns out I'm not quite there in my progress. There's still plenty of inconsequential stuff that gets me all kinds of ragey.

The latest? The details don't really matter and besides that, I can't figure out a way to describe it without revealing too many details of the lame situation. OK, I'll give you this...would it kill you to move a couple of chairs and pick up a few crushed Cheerios? Although I'm being intentionally vague, I can tell you that it was those set of circumstances that set me off yesterday and carried into my Sunday morning.

I suppose I should wonder about my state of mind if some crushed cereal bits and misplaced chairs were enough to get me ragey. I'm evolved enough to recognize that and so it got me thinking. I genuinely had no reason to let something so small upset me and as I thought about it, I realized I'd ceded all control to the situation. I'd let something of zero consequence upset me. If this had been a war-time battle, and I were a leader, and I reacted in the same way, I would have already lost the war. I'd rather not live my life, taking the losing position. I'd really rather just take the high road.

Joshua Lederberg once said, "All of civility depends on being able to contain the rage of individuals." What wise words from a Nobel prize winning molecular biologist! I also found some wisdom from the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament:

He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city

that is broken down, and without walls. ~ Proverbs 25:28