Have you ever wished for either of these rules?
Do chronic complainers bother you? What about cheerful people? I’m happy to lend an ear when someone is going through hard times, but I’ve learned to steer clear of people who are always complaining. And when I’m in a bad mood I tend to avoid cheerful people until I start feeling better. On the other hand, I avoid grumpy people too, so I was amused at this announcement in a local church bulletin:
Getting Old and Grumpy Group
Are you, at least somewhat, grumpy and cranky about aging? You must feel that way often for admission to this group! Those aging gracefully should go elsewhere.
Would a group like that ever appeal to you? (If you’re not old enough to be dealing with aging, think of some other problem affecting your life.)
The funniest programmes (ask my son and he does not yet qualify to be grumpy) are “Grumpy Old Men” and “Grumpy Old Women”. It’s hilarious. Side splittingly funny. The Angel thinks that I am a natural in the making (how very flattering), never more funny than when grumpy, and that I should get a slot on the programme.
It is what is so wonderful about advancing years: You see detail under the magnifying glass, feeling slightly jaded. The art is in putting the right spin on it. And may I add that comedy is, of course, made up of that which disgruntles us and in which we recognize ourselves. Nothing makes us laugh more than the familiar taken to its pisstaking height.
U
Ursula,
I’ve never heard of TV programs called that, but here in the U.S. there are two movies Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men.
One of my favorite series is As Time Goes By. It’s funny and touching about getting older. A very friendly series, of course.
Then there’s the famous cartoon Maxine.
🙂 😀 Thanks for permission to use those. Ursula hates them.
“In the name of courtesy: Do please spare me the smileys. You know how much i hate them.”
OK & say if I hated them too, they do serve a purpose. Jokes are taken seriously without them.
Ex. “I myself do not agree with BHB’s notion that being a man is simple: It isn’t. I know.”— I said, “It must be simple to be a man. Men don’t analyze feelings.” That first part was a joke. ;D
I would avoid that group like the plague. I guess for me it depends if the complaining is about current stuff or re-hashing old stuff.
How, Jean you do you know I have just had a conversation with a very grumpy personage within the last 24hrs?…
I hadn’t expected to bump into this person…but it happened. I couldn’t leave either because I had an official appointment and was in the queue to see someone (they were actually running behind).
I’m what you might term “welfare” because of my health issues but also I have an extra supplement because of my housing costs. Every 3 months or so I have to go in with a whole lot of forms and have it renewed…it will never stop; I was told that a few months ago. But I still have to make an appt/trudge in…
The grumpy personage I know has been in dire straits because frankly she doesn’t understand about budgets or finances AND this time was no different. Basically without going too far down any track she expects: to live beyond her means and get topped up, ran a car, have hire purchases for new items, and obviously not have a budget! I actually have no sympathy for her…but it is hard when she preceives I am in a similar position.
I would love to be like her but I know that if I did all that…I would be miserable and grumpy as hell 🙂
I occasionally go “outside my preceived budget” but I then spend time recouping that. i.e. I will back off whatever.
I feel that I have enough for my needs…ok I couldn’t take an overseas holiday but I don’t need it right.
I had this type of chat with my sister who is in a very different position to me but she if 1/4 century older than me…
I’m relatively happy…CHEERFUL EVEN 🙂 🙂 🙂
I see alot of typos…sorry!!!
bikehikebabe,
As you know, I love smileys. 😀 I’m a visual person and agree we sometimes need more than just words.
Evan,
I agree. Sometimes venting can be helpful to let off steam and free people to start dealing with problems. But some people get stuck and never get past the complaining about their lot in life.
Cathy,
I don’t notice typos. I read for meaning.
What rotten luck, to have to wait and be trapped as a captive audience.
It sounds as if your life would be simpler if you had more money, but I also remember that my husband and I were very happy when we were just starting out. We lived very frugally then. I must say, I don’t miss walking the half mile to work when it was between -10 and -20 degrees Fahrenheit with a howling wind blowing. I still think of that sometimes during our relatively mild winters here. It gets below freezing, but seldom that far below zero. I hadn’t thought about that for years.
I’m not particularly sure that more money would be the answer…as such.
I’m not having to walk in -10 or even lower temps…and it rarely snows up here (we had a polar blast this year)
I can do most things, I want in my own personal way. But sometimes if there was a little more I could regularly splash out. I work within my budget and often with a little saving here and there, can actually splash out
Cathy,
We were young enough at the time that we could look at it as an adventure. Age does matter!
We were both savers at heart, so we put some money aside for splurges. We would often wait to spend that money because it was so nice knowing we had choices. When we did spend it we appreciated it more. Now, of course, the government penalizes savers. We shake our heads a lot and spend more freely.
A grumpy, constantly complaining old man lives with me. I do not remember being anything else but all my life. He is also devious in his communications and one has to see through games that he tries to play. And it is galling for him that his son and his grandson, who also share the same roof, are by and large cheerful, and take his complaints and whining in their strides. I am no spring chicken but I am grateful that I am not like that and I hope that I never become like that. There are occasions when he can get under my skin but my son puts me back on track in no time.
Rummuser,
I’m glad you have your son to help you stay cheerful and positive. The interesting thing about that proposed group is everyone is supposed to have a chance to express her/his feelings and listen to everyone else. My experience is the chronic complainers are happy to express but hate to listen to other people’s problems.