Friday, March 28, 2008

Anger bubbles

You know how sometimes someone can just infuriate you regularly enough that you stay at the simmer point with them?

I know boiling water is a cliché, but it's the best analogy. It's astounding to me how you can go through your day not realizing that with a particular person you are at a steady simmer. And the smallest thing can ratchet you up to where the anger bubbles break the surface.

But you simmer. And say they are maybe in some sort of position in your life which means you can't just tell them off, even if it would feel so awesome in the moment. And when you are tempted to do that, you thankfully have the ability to stop and remind yourself that you like to be able to pay your bills.

Maybe you get to a point where everything about him or her and the situation makes you angry? And so you lose the perspective to decide whether you should sit down and have a talk about this one particular thing that regularly incenses you? Because maybe it doesn't merit mention in the grand scheme of things - because you know there will be larger things that do?

But you are so regularly annoyed and simmering below the smile of your surface you just can't tell anymore?

And then you are necessarily writing about it in a rather opaque manner, just in case? With lots of question marks, which are perhaps unnecessary but feel kind of good?

Yeah. That's where I am.

9 comments:

  1. Next time you see this person, scream "I DEMAND JUSTICE!" and knee him/her in the groin.

    Then go for ice cream.

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  2. Repeat after me:

    "I'm pretty. I'm pretty. Pretty."

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  3. hence the joy of having a blog

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  4. Say something extra-special-nice or give them some candy the next time you see them... and make sure that everyone hears / sees you do it. And then take joy in (1) the fact that you're being the better person, and (2) watching them squirm while they wonder 'why?'. Those who are people savvy and observant, or those on your side whom you've told, will enjoy the sarcasm along with you.

    This is hard to pull off... but when it is done well, it feels awesome!

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  5. (1) Best wishes.

    (2) Look into the pretty, sparkly ring.

    (3) Get some bubble wrap and keep it at the office. When you start to bubble, think of something you'd like to say, and pop the bubble wrap as you do it.

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  6. I've got one of these at work, Lisa. I almost don't recognize myself she drives me so crazy. I've come SO close to boiling over. SO close. And I have no idea how to reel it in. She's just so absurd.

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  7. Rich - Not a possibility. Will have to be much more subversive.

    Cupcake - That one I will definitely try next time. Maybe I'll say it out loud, just to see what happens. :)

    VVK - Sigh. Of course you'd come up with something kind and rational and totally reasonable. I will try, but can't promise anything.

    Dagny - Once again, adore adore adore you.

    Mark - That made me laugh, and then think. And actually, I've dealt with enough manipulative crazy people in my life not to be the frog who slowly boils to death. I'm just trying to figure out what to DO.

    Celtic Not - Ugh. That's horrible. I'm going to email you about this one.

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  8. Yep. I've got mine. The hair-puller. She's going to be my boss next year. I think I need a new job long before then those bubbles will burst!

    Find something good and subversive.

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