So much anger of late. I’ve noticed it for years with the ascent of DJT to the pinnacle of political power in our country, and yet, it seems as if the anger people clung to is still hanging on despite the ouster of the former president. This is not naivete, or oblivious wondering, on my part – there are some legitimate reasons for many people and groups to be angry. But, do we have to be angry about everything?

For instance, in the last week I’ve observed people angry about:

• Wordle (a word game people are playing for those who aren’t aware)
• Green M&M getting sneakers instead of her “sexy” heels
• Just-in-time supply chain issues at grocery stores for certain products while there is plenty of food right next to the empty space
• Only getting four COVID-19 tests for free

I’m exhausted just reading those four things. I can only imagine how exhausting it must be for people who are actually angry and upset about them. It also appears that the majority of those making the most noise are those who don’t have a whole lot to complain about. I’m not the only one who has noticed.

So, an analogy about making a lot of noise but doing nothing about why you’re upset.

Here at Chez Muse, we have goats – four goofy ladies, mostly of French Alpine and Sable Toggenburg descent and one with some Pygmy in her. They have four acres of pasture to run around. They have shelters and wind breaks, platforms to climb on, all-they-can-eat hay, water, salt blocks in four different varieties… it’s a veritable goat heaven.

In the winter I bring them indoors at night because then I don’t have to run referee during feeding time when it’s cold. They get an evening meal of a hot mash of shredded beet pulp, alfalfa cubes, and goat chow. They get “cookies” as a treat. They have their stalls bedded with pine shavings and oat straw. Literally, they have nothing to complain about.

And yet…

Every morning there is a great ruckus and much complaining emanating from the barn as I make my way to the door. Why? Because THEY WANT OUTSIDE!

So, today, when it was an air temperature of -17°F, two of them were too antsy to eat breakfast because they wanted out. So, out they went. Then, they complained that it was cold. Did they want to come back inside? No. They just wanted to make a lot of noise to let me know that I was a terrible person for letting them outside even though that’s what they wanted and now they were cold. But, how DARE I suggest they come back inside!?

Snubbed, as usual, I went back to the house for coffee. Come dinner time, they’ll be ready to go back inside, eat their hot dinner, and sleep in fluffy beds out of the wind and weather.

It’s all about perspective. Yes, we’re in a pandemic. Yes, we’re all experiencing things we’ve never experienced before and sometimes it makes us uncomfortable or upset, but ultimately, we’re still doing pretty well.

And, let me state clearly, that is not a dismissal of all the people who have lost loved ones, medical professionals who have quit, or or those who are on the verge of quitting due to burnout and abuse by people who aren’t medical professionals. Those are serious issues and society is going to be impacted by them for generations.

That stated, be grateful for what you have. Let go of, or at least lower, your expectations as we navigate through this era. Try to find the happiness in the routine or mundane on the daily. Let people enjoy things they like to do when they aren’t hurting anyone doing them.

“Happiness doesn’t lie in conspicuous consumption and the relentless amassing of useless crap. Happiness lies in the person sitting beside you and your ability to talk to them. Happiness is clearheaded human interaction and empathy. Happiness is home. And home is not a house – home is a mythological conceit. It is a state of mind. A place of communion and unconditional love.”

-Dennis Lehane, author

As for me, I am going to start a knitting project on the loom, talk to the cats who are next to me enjoying sunbeams on the back of the couch, and probably drink some tea while I look at job ads later.

What is something you enjoy doing?
Do you play Wordle?
Have you taken up a new hobby during the Pandemic?
What is something you’ve had to adjust your thinking about during the Pandemic?

The Amusing Muse is a (now) former student living in Southern Wisconsin. She keeps herself busy with a variety of things on the days she’s not at the office, and sometimes finds herself motivated to write a blog post. She believes in the Science and Medical Community – get vaccinated/boostered, wear a mask, keep socially distant.