Cura te ipsum

 

The heat and humidity of Ottawa's summer has settled in. It’s again one of those paradoxes where it's hotter and more humid than on an island in the tropics! I'm finding that breathing is challenging. I'm really unused to this, and I'm working on finding methods of coping. I sit and elevate my feet in the hope of relieving the swelling in my feet and ankles. Don keeps reminding (nagging!) me to lie down, rather than sit up and fall asleep in my chair.. _working on it!  At least my pain medications appear to be working, as my pain is lower than it was. So it's a bit of a relief!

I have a question, which I'm hoping that someone can help me answer: why are people so angry all the time at everything? It is confounding me. When I talk to people, it doesn't take long before the conversation descends into a rant on something. Lately it's about Covid; vaccines; stupidity, snowflakes, and so on. It appears that there are at least 2 reasons to be angry for every person, and they each want a platform for their outpourings. Sadly, I've seen that this tendency is widespread. There was an article about flight. attendants being subject to verbal and physical attacks, so much that they have been taking self-defence classes in record numbers. That behaviour is utterly unacceptable! So when I read about the flight attendant who duct taped a passenger for rowdiness, I applauded.

Then there are the many covidiots who prefer to create a scene and involve police than wear a mask.. Add on the ones who are determined to prolong the spread of the virus and increase the number of deaths by refusing vaccines. Plus the ones who attack people of different races because they want to blame everyone else for the failures in their lives.

I had a nurse who arrived at my home one day, visibly upset, because her previous patient had accused her of bringing Covid and spreading it from China. Another friend told me that her neighbour had been attacked for walking while Asian. I don't know a single BIPOC. person who doesn't have horror stories of being the target of racism, then being told that they were "too sensitive," and they "must have misunderstood." If we push back, we're dismissed as "angry" and "reactionary." We're shuffled aside and bypassed, while simultaneously having praises heaped on us for getting things accomplished. Leaving aside the covidiots and the pro-plague crowd, because they generate enormous amounts of anger as soon as they open their mouths, it seems that there are sources of anger just lurking everywhere on the street. But anger directed at salespersons, or flight attendants or waiters for doing their jobs? Ridiculous and unacceptable.

My bias in this is clear, I know. It's also very open. I am aware that it's there, influencing my thoughts and speech. Yes, it's true that I  trust the science and the scientists on the subject of Covid, especially because their advice has shifted in the last year and more. If they had stuck with the original advice, flying in the face of everything that happened in the last 18 months, then their credibility would be deeper in the manure pit than... well, you pick! Very simply, the fact that the lead medical people in every country in the world have changed their advice to keep up with evolving evidence is reassuring that they are following the science. And instead of holding on and doubling down on flawed or outdated information, they updated and provided new advice.

The multitude of theories are laughable at best, and irritating at worst. It becomes a problem when people decide to attack others and the anger spills into real life. I understand being angry and getting annoyed at what seems like wilful stupidity from someone with whom you disagree, but I do not get sending threats-especially death threats- because of a disagreement. That's just stupid. Worse, to act on the threat and physically assault someone?  Doing that absolutely deserves a severe legal penalty. I've seen people get- angry because they see someone doing something that annoys them- like someone spouting a conspiracy theory, and their ire goes up. But actually acting on it?

Let's retain calm heads, ent? No reason for anyone to spend any time with a jailer, or under arrest, or with injuries. I recommend that when you feel anger starting to boil up inside that you pause by taking 3-4 deep breaths, count to 10 or 20 or even 100, whatever it takes for you to regain control and calm down. Then, calmly reframe the conversation so it’s  clear you understand why you became angry, and how to cope in the future so you don't end up in difficulties.

Have a calm night!