What’s Worth Complaining About

Lately I’ve grown tired of expressions of useless anger – my own and anyone else’s. 

There are so many things that people are upset about right now.

They include but are not limited to:

Christmas is starting too early.  This has become a familiar refrain that begins around mid-October, before Halloween, when some of the bigger retailers start stocking their Christmas aisles.  And it doesn’t end until about two weeks before Christmas.  People buy this stuff and there are some who absolutely cannot wait to start.  Stores are in the business of making money. Get over it.

Too much Christmas music on the radio.  There is a powerful way of stopping it, at least in the complainer’s life.  Find the little knobs or buttons that provide power to the radio, and that change stations, and use them.  Christmas music on radio is a proven ratings winner.  End of story. Although I must admit my own station doesn’t jump on this bandwagon.

Black Friday is dumb.  There was plenty of complaining that Canadian retailers are now trying to cash in on Black Friday in the US.  I don’t understand the problem!  They’re trying to keep shopping dollars here.  Why is that so hard to understand?

(Insert issue here) is getting too much attention while soldiers are dying overseas.  Yes war is a tragedy and the deaths of young men and women are terrible.  But one cannot simply compare each and every issue to the consequences of war.  When I see or hear such a statement it is a sure sign that the person making the argument is an idiot, full stop.  A recent example in a media comment.  “It’s disgusting to me that people are giving so much money to animal welfare when our soldiers are dying overseas.”  What a dumb thing to think, let alone say.

Complaining about complaining because we really have nothing to complain about.  Yes, I’m complaining here about complainers.  I’ve lost my patience with them and I’m sick to death of the negativity.  So I’m going to try – try! – to limit my complaining to things that I have at least attempted to do something about.  For example, you won’t catch me complaining about an ad unless I have written a letter to the company or the broadcaster.  But I reserve the right to continue to yell at the TV and the radio when I’m alone.  I’m afraid that’s just part of my nature but at least I rarely impose it on others.