I"m Sick Of It

I am totally sick of people I love dying. I am also sick of people I have read about or who have been my role models passing on. The list of things about which I am pretty sick, grows longer and it does not only have to do with loss or anything sensitive. Like for example, I am sick to death (OK I mentioned death but in a different context), of any mention of John Edwards and his girlfriend. I guess, in the greater scheme of things, I am sick of political people who use and misuse the power of their office and thereby destroy the confidence vested in them by an unsuspecting electorate. How many times have we heard “power corrupts” and how many times do we need to get hit in the head with it until we know it is not only true, but the norm instead of an aberration.

Moving on, I am sick of the people who live next door to me in New York. Unlike my courteous and considerate neighbors in Virginia. These people think they are “entitled” to do whatever. The man in the family is on the Board of Directors of our co-op. So while he should be advocating for the shareholders, he sends signals that he (and his family) can pretty much do what they want and screw the rest of us. Like, the hallways belong to the building, not individuals, but they use them as a playground and storage space for carriages and rain-soaked gear. And this would be OK if they didn’t leave their crap in front of our door. But I am told, that if I ever want to see the apartment I better tread lightly – - does that mean I can’t call my Navy Seal friends and have them teach these folks a lesson. Probably.

And I am sick to death of whining children, adults, airline passengers, and people who beg on the subway because they are suffering from the economy. Take the 20ish year old woman who got on my subway card today and spilled the saga. “I’m a single mother with two kids and I just got laid off, so I could use some help”.

“Who couldn’t?”, I wanted to say. But I controlled myself and didn’t. “Get a new job,” I also wanted to say, but I didn’t. I just kept reading my paper thinking, “what a crock”, but I continued to read all the news I deemed important. The 15 year old student next to me gave her a dollar and I wanted to ask him why? But I knew why. You never see a woman actually begging car to car. At Christmas, there are women who entertain and ask for a token of your admiration, but out right begging, hardly ever.

Anyway, what else turns my stomach lately—because I do go through phases? Oh yes, I am sick to death of e-mail, Face book and Twitter. I hate the idea that people don’t have to talk. There have been so many times when I sent someone a message and they missed my humor or intonation and sent me back a rather testy response. The internet has no sense of humor. Funny comes across as attitude and often sincere becomes sinister. But people use it so they don’t have to deal with other people in any personal way. My daughter thinks if she e-mails or texts she will get a response from people with whom she wants to have a professional relationship. I doubt that’s going to happen. People who are doing anything professionally want to hear the tone of your voice—it makes a difference.

So I guess this was a little like whining but without the sound. These are not the only things that make me sick, but it’s a good beginning. I just think when we sublimate these issues they start to eat at our insides and eventually manifest themselves as personality disorders. Did I mention that personality disorders really make me sick…. We’re just sayin’…. Iris