Introspective Elective

Thinking back upon yesterday (so as not to strain my memory too badly), it dawned on me that I complained. A lot. Methinks meself doth protest too much. Some was constructive criticism of short stories (StoryMash), which might carry more actual value if I had genuine author's credentials to speak of. Some was poorly thought out comments to my wife after eleven wonderful years of marriage. (The proper time to get to sleep is not immediately after chastising your spouse for a midnight Walmart run.) Some was simply odd. I had two Clementine oranges yesterday. One was plump and juicy, but hard to peel and too pulpy. The other's peel shed easily, but the juice was weak and watery.

Is it that I don't get what I want, so I feel compelled to accentuate the negative? It's a reasonable theory, especially if you consider I've been an Eagles fan for two decades. It's more convenient to kvetch when I make a bad shot...

[pause] I'm not sure how to phrase that. Is it "try a bad shot"? I wasn't badly trying. I was badly succeeding. Or successfully failing. But making a bad shot sounds like it was poor shot selection, but the ball went in the basket. I chuck enough garbage that eventually some circus heave goes through, but most of my shots in the current group where I play are putback layups. They're good shots. I miss them. Ah. [resume]

...It's more convenient to kvetch when I miss yet another shot, but do I appreciate those I do make as much as I kid about the majority I don't? At least with basketball, I know I suck so I don't complain when other people suck too. But disc golf? Writing? Driving a car? If I believe myself to be competent (or better) at anything, that makes anyone inferior to me an easy target for insult, even in jest.

And yet I feel respected.

Perhaps it's because people respect the talent but not the person? They can learn from my technique, even if it requires enduring my blathering, bickering and babbling. Wouldn't it be so much more pleasant for everyone if I focused more on encouragement and didn't trash talk (or downright trash) folks for mistakes (many of which are committed innocently)?

Aw sheesh. As I was writing this, I looked out my window and watched some doofus make a left turn from the right turn lane. Directly in front of a cop. Who immediately turned on his light bar and pulled him over.

If only idiocy didn't run so rampantly. Mercy.

Now pardon me while I crank up my space heater next to my recycling bin full of paper and leave it unattended so it will be warm by the time I return from lunch.