Gratitude

There are lots of scary people in this world–weird, thoughtless, rude, and certifiably crazy people. At the risk of being totally negative (something I can be very good at), their numbers are way too high for my comfort level. I see people do dangerous things, like blow through stop signs and drive like they’re on a racetrack. I see people do rude things, like allow their kids to get in other people’s faces because little Granola must be free to explore her world. I see people do unimaginably cruel things, like say frightening things to children just to prove that they’re right about something. And I see people do abominably self-righteous things, because they just don’t give a damn about the others with whom they share this planet.

The past week or so, it’s as if all the negativity escalated. Perhaps the contamination of the smoke has contaminated people’s psyches, as well, but whatever the reason, behaviors seems really out of hand. I discussed it with my friend Vicki today, and she immediately jumped on my bandwagon, because she has witnessed it, too–a subtle, insideous, then downright explosive display of truly bad conduct.

So we decided that the best way to beat it is by sending out some of the most positive energy we have. Airy fairy? I think not. We have to combat the negativity with all things positive–from forgiving the morons to conjuring up compassion to expressing gratitude for the good things we see and the wonderful people who occupy our lives. We have to embrace a half-full philosophy to get past the empty-headedness that is so rampant. And even if our gratitude gets no further along than “I’m so thankful I’m me and not you,” it’s a start.