Grouch

Lord but I hate coming across as such a grouch in so many of these blogs. I'm not, really. I may not be the life of the party, but I've got a great sense of humor and I love kittens and puppies and happily-ever-afters.

I got a note the other day from someone who had just read one of my books saying that while she had enjoyed the book, she had hesitated to read it because she'd read some of my blogs and thought that I sounded like a rather disagreeable human being.

While I hate to admit it, she had a valid point. I hastened to apologize (as I do now to you) and explain that it was because I think of myself as both an optimist and a romanticist, and that my seemingly bad disposition was simply a result of the exasperation of trying to deal with the mountain range of negativity by which we are all surrounded today. And I think it is all based in my apparent inability to understand my fellow human beings.

Do you understand people? Lord knows I don't. I never have and probably never will. Just when I think I might be getting a handle on why they act or think the way they do, they'll say or do something to totally contradict whatever I thought I had figured out.

What perversity dictates that people devote intense fascination to things which really, in the overall scheme of things, are utterly inconsequential, and have not one whit of direct effect on us personally or on our lives...while at exactly the same time refusing to give a minute's serious consideration to things which are vital to our physical well-being? We'll stand on the street corner and smoke three cartons of cigarettes while utterly engrossed in deep conversation about Justin Bieber's tattoos. We go into the equivalent of national mourning when some celebrity dies, yet read of thousands dying of hunger every single day with little or no reaction.

Grown men go absolutely berserk with excitement watching athletes running around throwing and catching balls while they themselves sit on a barstool chugging beer and eating fried butter. ("We're Number One!" No, you're not. The athletes are Number One--you're just fat and lazy.)

It is truly difficult to maintain one's belief in goodness and mercy and tolerance--positivity in any form--when turning on the TV or reading a newspaper gives the finger to those same beliefs. Reality too often seems to be a slap in the face--which is, again, why I try to ignore it whenever possible.

But I do wish, sincerely and with all my heart, that someone could explain to me how the current candidates for the office of President of the United States can espouse egregious statements and positions so utterly, completely, totally, all-consumingly devoid of even an iota of logic or rationality, so filled with hatred and negativity and rock-solid assurance that their beliefs/stated opinions are the only ones that matter. Their sheer stupefying arrogance infuriates me dangerously close to the point of apoplexy.

I realize that using negativity to rage against negativity is counterproductive in the extreme. I'm sure you dislike it as much as I do. The wrongs of the world must be faced and addressed, whereas they are far too often simply accepted. My personal challenge is to find a way to counter it without compounding it.

Perhaps if I wore a fright wig and a red ball over my nose?

Dorien's blogs are posted by 10 a.m. Central time every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Please take a moment to check out his website (http://www.doriengrey.com) and, if you enjoy these blogs, you might want to check out Short Circuits: a Life in Blogs (http://bit.ly/m8CSO1 ).