Anger Sessions

Anger, if left unchecked, will consume you. If you can no longer distinguish the points throughout your day where you were angry, at peace, or maybe even possibly happy, you're walking a dangerous line.

To be a master in mad-fu, you must learn to embrace your anger, channel it, and release it constructively. No good comes from a reckless release, no matter how good it feels. Part of this process is being mindful of your flow throughout the day so you can identify the good, the bad, and yes, the fugly. Once you do this, you can effectively recognize, address, and overcome the anger so it does not ruin your entire day, or affect fellow normal people (other mad-isticians).

Here is an example:

Well rested and ready to face another wonderful day at work (couldn't sleep, drag-assing, dreading the stupidity I will encounter on the way to, during, and coming home from work...)

I got on the bus and said good morning to the driver. (I'm relatively calm right now, and I'm courteous to the person who has to deal with more stupidity than me in a day, and who has my safety in their hands for 2 out of 24 hours every day.)

It was hot outside, but the bus AC was nice and cold, and there was a calm scent in the air (thank God the AC is working and the bus doesn't smell like piss.)

I reflected on the smell as it was familiar, and happy. A childhood memory of walking into Baskin-Robbins on a hot summer day, the cold refrigerated air permeated with sweet smells of cream and sugar, the anticipation of a frosty treat. (Shit, I wish I had time to eat breakfast, but at least I'm going to enjoy this ride.)

A few stops later a dude sits in front of me. (the bus will be crowded soon and I might get angry at someone. Anticipate the stupid.)

The normal dude in front of me begins to clean his ears with a Q-tip, then proceeds to place the waxy swab on the window sill, where my sweet smelling cool air is blowing from. (STUPIDITY SNEAK ATTACK! NOT A NORMAL DUDE!) (If you haven't recognized it, this is the moment where the anger started.)

I picture myself elbowing him hard to the back of the head. (This arguable overreaction may ruin more than just the next 20 minutes of my life.)

He proceeded to make a phone call to someone about rescheduling something, you know, an annoying phone call about your business I don't care to hear. All I heard was this is "Mark White" needing to blah, blah, blah, STFU. (Saint Fu is arguably my favorite Saint.)

So, rather than elbowing him in the head, Mark White presented me with the opportunity to say "Excuse me, are you Mark White?? Mark White could you take that Q-tip you just cleaned your ears with and remove it from the AC duct we are all breathing air from? Thanks Mark White!" (This action is best performed while they are still on the phone.)

I was happy again. (This, and now I still have to go to work.)

Notice how Mad-Fu prevailed and the day was not lost. Anger arrived, was welcomed, harnessed, and then set free.

I wonder if that sweet smell was chemical in nature and I was exposed to more toxins than usual during that ride. Probably.