A Gentle Chirp Turneth Away Wrath.

It was 6:42 a.m. when he began to sing. He didn’t sound the least bit angry. As a matter of fact, angry was probably the last word to describe his voice.  

Angry Birds is one of the most popular electronic games out right now. A large slingshot catapults round, red, flightless birds into structures. The object is to break down stone, concrete and wooden obstacles to obliterate hiding green pigs. Sounds rather silly, but it becomes addicting to normal folks like every member of my family except me. I refuse to partake in something that obliviously flies in the face of what God created birds to be. Those little scowling fowls are cute but have we reached the point that even bearers of beauty are now portrayed mad like the rest of us? Excluding Blue Jays of course. They annoy me and even the most patient of wrens.

 

That early rising bird wasn’t worried whether I remembered to fill the feeder with his favorite sunflowers or if our cats crept too close. After a storm blew through around 6:55, I went outside to find him scurrying about in freshly moistened dirt. To Mr. Robin, the rain didn’t mean the headache of wet shoes that would take a day and a half to dry or increased traffic around the schools for drop off. No, to him it meant something wonderful. Worms.

 

Perceived frustrations, fears, hurts, turn us into Angry People. Just like when Karl does work for Fred and the check he’s owed never comes or is terribly late. Fred used the money earmarked to pay Karl for repairs to his car – so he could get to work. Then no-paying Fred’s wife went to the store. She saw her used-to-be friend Karl’s wife who had spread it all over town that Karl had done work for Fred and Fred didn’t pay the bill. Both wives darted down separate aisles with frowns and ruffled feathers.

 

Now the above illustration was just that – an illustration. If you sit there and try to figure out whom in town it was — that will make me angry. I don’t excuse not paying your bills, but every slight or harsh word that triggers fury, most probably results from some deeper misunderstanding that has taken place.

 

For one week, let’s give negative perceptions a rest. In a real scenario, a woman mentioned to me that she and her best friend recently confided their first impressions of each other. One imagined the other as a jet-setting snob and the so-imagined jetsetter supposed the other an intellectual, above reproach. After getting to know each other, these women are now indescribably close — like sisters. That got me to thinking, a lot of the time we must carry around flat out wrong opinions about each other. Misguided notions that if kept too long make our edges sharp and bristly toward our fellow bird-kin.

 

If you’re angry these days, wake up at 6:30 and take time to think. Why am I snapping at my husband, my wife and my kids? Why do I demand perfection from people or things that can’t possibility give it?

 

In reality Angry Birds exist only in video games. Wake up at 6:30, walk outside and stand still. Then listen, really listen. It’s impossible to feel angry for very long.