Frustrations
I have a frustrating life. I don't think it's because my life is any more frustrating than anyone else's; I think it's because my approach to life is unrealistic: I expect things to work the first time out.
Whoa, nellie. You can't be serious!
Oh, but I am. I am the victim of high expectations.
Here's an example: for Christmas I got a Roadtrip for my iPod nano. It's a car charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter and also - wonder of wonders - transmits your iPod tunes onto your FM radio. This is a GREAT idea. Now I can go everywhere and listen to the greatest radio station on earth (KDBH) and not have to wear the little earbuds.
So yesterday, the 26th, my dear Missus and myself hopped in the car to go return all the other presents (just kidding, mostly). I popped in the Roadtrip, turned up the nano and .... nothing/nada/zilch/d) all of the above. It didn't work. Suddenly the joy and excitement I'd been feeling until 30 seconds earlier was gone - melted like snow in the sahara. Now a gloom hung over my day. And no one at any of the stores we went to was able to help me out. Frustration, with a covering of irritation, topped with a spoiled cherry.
The good news is, when I came home I went to the website, got the fix, and now my Roadtrip sounds great. I cruised around today listening to a shuffle of the Who, Bruce, Casting Crowns, Newsboys, BB King, Van Morrison, and Cajun Christmas (one of the best unknown Christmas CDs ever!). Wonderful times again.
So, I'm no longer frustrated. But the whole experience gave me the opportunity to reflect a little. So now I would like to present the Five Lessons Learned:
1) Earthly things can sabotage my joy just because they will never be perfect. If I'm so invested in them that their malfunctions can crush my spirit, I'm too invested in them.
2) Be prepared for when things go bad. No, don't presume they will; that's negativity. But, if my plans, schemes, dreams, and desires are washed away like deck chairs from the Titanic, I should be flexible enough to deal with it.
3) Use your resources; somebody somewhere must have encountered and defeated the same difficulty.
4) The people working the checkout lines at WalMart really should be more efficient (oops - different-but-related complaint based on standing in line TOO long tonight while the friendly cashier chatted about Christmas with everybody in line. Hey, the OTHER line moved eight people while our line - the 20 items or less line - moved three! Hey, how about 20 pleasantries or less? OK, OK, end of rant on that subject; I apologize to all the CAPABLE WalMart cashiers. Both of them).
5) The Griffintechnology Roadtrip for nano kicks musical gluteus maximus.
Whoa, nellie. You can't be serious!
Oh, but I am. I am the victim of high expectations.
Here's an example: for Christmas I got a Roadtrip for my iPod nano. It's a car charger that plugs into the cigarette lighter and also - wonder of wonders - transmits your iPod tunes onto your FM radio. This is a GREAT idea. Now I can go everywhere and listen to the greatest radio station on earth (KDBH) and not have to wear the little earbuds.
So yesterday, the 26th, my dear Missus and myself hopped in the car to go return all the other presents (just kidding, mostly). I popped in the Roadtrip, turned up the nano and .... nothing/nada/zilch/d) all of the above. It didn't work. Suddenly the joy and excitement I'd been feeling until 30 seconds earlier was gone - melted like snow in the sahara. Now a gloom hung over my day. And no one at any of the stores we went to was able to help me out. Frustration, with a covering of irritation, topped with a spoiled cherry.
The good news is, when I came home I went to the website, got the fix, and now my Roadtrip sounds great. I cruised around today listening to a shuffle of the Who, Bruce, Casting Crowns, Newsboys, BB King, Van Morrison, and Cajun Christmas (one of the best unknown Christmas CDs ever!). Wonderful times again.
So, I'm no longer frustrated. But the whole experience gave me the opportunity to reflect a little. So now I would like to present the Five Lessons Learned:
1) Earthly things can sabotage my joy just because they will never be perfect. If I'm so invested in them that their malfunctions can crush my spirit, I'm too invested in them.
2) Be prepared for when things go bad. No, don't presume they will; that's negativity. But, if my plans, schemes, dreams, and desires are washed away like deck chairs from the Titanic, I should be flexible enough to deal with it.
3) Use your resources; somebody somewhere must have encountered and defeated the same difficulty.
4) The people working the checkout lines at WalMart really should be more efficient (oops - different-but-related complaint based on standing in line TOO long tonight while the friendly cashier chatted about Christmas with everybody in line. Hey, the OTHER line moved eight people while our line - the 20 items or less line - moved three! Hey, how about 20 pleasantries or less? OK, OK, end of rant on that subject; I apologize to all the CAPABLE WalMart cashiers. Both of them).
5) The Griffintechnology Roadtrip for nano kicks musical gluteus maximus.
posted by David Hardesty | 7:10 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home