Suck

My good friend and I are constantly joking on our hour commute to and from work on, "why do people just suck." It's a humous response generally to someone just being a dick on the road. That, by the way, is never actually necessary. I was pondering this out on a few of my longer runs lately where I am obligated to run on the shoulder of two lane roads. Most of the time there is not too much traffic and it wizzes by around 50 mph without any real trouble. However, on occasion I seem to get the driver that shades closer to the side of the road than is needed. Sometimes still, they are looking right at me while they do it. Trust me, you don't ever stop watching approaching traffic when you are alone running, miles from anywhere. The drift is real and seemingly on purpose.

Why do people suck?

That is the thought I have as I jump back out of the ditch or weeds I retreat to. Then I had a different idea the other day. What if I just pretended they didn't. Further more in my revolutionary idea, what if they were each wonderful? It was a little warm out there the day I fostered this little kernel but I thought, what the hell? I treated each approaching car as a wonderful addition to my day for the 3 seconds we were together, even the ones that edged a little close.

While this sounds "shoot me optimistic" it actually made me feel better. I was less irritated and ran pretty easy from that point on. I am not sure if that is a sustainable idea, but sometimes overshooting is the best way to get closer to goal.

Playing Nice

It has been good to get a short respite in, to be sure. It allowed for a break in the self imposed routine of daily publishing. While a nobel intent, as was previously mentioned, it felt as I was falling short of my aim.

So what shall I begin anew with?

Today, it seemed that basic people interactions have been raising the red flag often. I have heard that if you encounter more than three assholes in any given day, you are probably one of them. What other folks do is of less consequence to me than my reactions to them. Happiness is certainly not an outside job. When encountering a rude driver or someone at work that is less than polite, I have a choice. As Rollins said once, "when someone tries to have you a pile of shit, you do not have to take it."

Today, I am trying to let those without regard just pass by. It makes no sense to let them get to me. I chose happy today over the need to just be right.

Less to Say

I recently decided, and without fanfare to pair down on the Captain Stupie posts. I thought about mentioning it, but a wise man once told me it is lunacy to talk to someone about not talking to them. That is not to say I am not talking to you, my dedicated few, but I felt in a year of daily posts, I had surpassed the golden zone of deeper thoughts and was pumping out very little in the way of worthy ideas.

I was no longer a defender of the obvious, but a slave to a self induced daily writing regiment.

That said, I did not have any intention of walking away completely. I want to continue to write often. My challenge is to continue to look for engaging ideas to blather on about. Should that become daily or monthly will depend, but I want to actually say something here. I have good friends out there that continue to look for the ways to impact the world around them. While Stupie is no such platform (I am disillusioned but not crazy), I do want to pose thoughtful posts.

There is an Art of… out there still in need of discussion.

In any case I wanted to reaffirm, if only to myself, my hiatus was purposeful and not permanent. I do struggle with always and never and to step back is its own adventure.