What Good Is Holding Onto Hate?

Something that’s been bothering me recently is the wall at the front of my house.

Up until about a month ago everything was fine with it, it was a good upstanding front wall that did it’s job of providing a boundary between the pavement and the soil and plants that made up the front garden.

My problems with the wall all began when a delivery driver from a well-known online retailer that started out as a book seller, and pretty much sells everything now, reversed into said wall.

Not that I can prove any of this except for circumstance and neighbours commenting on erratic driving around this time.

That’s a tedious detail I won’t go into as I’ve discussed matters more than enough with police, the retailer, and the claims company representing the retailer.

Over the past month I’ve felt down about it, reminding myself of something I’ve said to many:

“Don’t worry about what you can’t control”

Other times I’ve felt angry, not only threatening to do no business with them again, but committing the ultimate war against them – by writing angry letters about them to the local newspapers.

(I only turned 40 two months ago, and realise now I’ve descended into the type of tactics fitting of my dad).

On a particular day feeling aggrieved about being messed around, I felt a gym session was in order to burn off some of the tension.

As I processed my way through some violent thrusting on the rowing machine, and slinging some weights about I became more angry thinking what chance I, a lower middle class middle aged man with a blog do against a global multi-billion dollar company.

The writing an angry letter to the paper came back to me, and I begun to wonder how I could elevate it?

I could write to my local MP?… no I can do more…

Let’s work to my strengths and utilise the power of the written word to create:

• Scaving, sarcastic reviews,
• A blog, which would focus it’s message on all the bad things company does.
• Satirical social media accounts mocking it’s business practices.

Perhaps it was the workout, but by the end as I plot my strategy to hit a tiny dent in the profit margins I felt tired.

The past month has felt awful, and I’m ready to put it all to a close – what good would such a spiteful campaign do except extend the pain and frustration I feel?

It just felt exhausting to holding onto being angry.

So no I’m not starting a blog based on a coordinated campaign of hate.

Nor would I ever dare to expect you the reader to reconsider your purchasing decision, just because I’ve been vexed by a dopey driver who can’t successfully turn his van around at a junction.

There is no good in holding onto grudges or hate.

But what you can do is embrace the positives that no one was hurt, and make sure to shop local next time.

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