An Issues Hound

Or How I (use to) Self Sabotage Happiness

I’ve become an issues hound, always sniffing around looking for something to really get my blood boiling, and honestly, in today’s media environment it’s not hard to do. If I’m looking to make that vein bulge in the middle of my forehead first thing in the morning, I can turn on MSNBC or FOX NEWS. When I want to ruin a five-minute break at work I can take a casual scroll through Twitter. It’s just the ticket. Perhaps I’ve had a pleasant day and need to steam up the bedroom with a rage sweat before bed, I’ll just take a quick peek at Apple News. Bye, bye sleepy time. The worst part is I know a couple of friends that I can call on and we can sit and bitch about issues together (yes, there is usually a delicious IPA involved) until it finally culminates in an explosive crescendo that sounds something like, “Well, what are you going to do?”

That’s it. Nothing ever seems to get better. And the thing is … issues only seem to be mounting. Justice is debated but not served. It’s almost like those in power could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and wouldn't lose any voters … OK. 🤡

If progress looks to be on the horizon, it moves at a glacial pace. Actually, now that I’ve written that down, that phraseology doesn’t make sense anymore. I guess a better way to say it would be like a baby refusing to eat that pureed vegetable blend, no matter how good you are at airplane sounds. You just get a big mess and an unsatiated hunger. Too many of us have retreated to our corners and are screaming across the mat hoping we can outshout each other, or at least influence the majority in the middle that aren’t really paying attention BECAUSE THERE’S SO MUCH SHOUTING! We look from one side to the other craning our necks to see which disaster will be the least disastrous for us all.

The media has now given those folks wandering around in the middle a name, “The ‘meh’ Voter.” As a member of Gen X and, the personifiers of ‘meh’, I take issue (mildly). Similar to “quiet quitting,” this is another big nothing burger. If you aren’t familiar, quiet quitting is the notion that workers are only working during work hours, or as we have called it since the beginning of time … working. Similarly, the ‘meh’ voter is the person that’s kind of paying attention, but not really, to generally what’s happening in the world outside of their own personal bubble, or as we’ve called it since the introduction of the vote … people.

Interestingly enough, however, those in the middle seem to be leaning a little harder on the left foot than their right nowadays. Perhaps those shouting from the corners should take a moment to discover why. If nothing else, we would all appreciate a break in the action. However, it could also point to the notion that one side miiiight have gone a step too far. Perhaps some recent a c t i o n s have had a negative impact on we mindless drones in the middle attempting to enjoy a peaceful day with our loved ones without getting triggered by random political stunts in an attempt to get our attention.

Let’s all agree to stop playing acrimonious orator on internet comment sections. We’re just throwing water into the ocean. Public policy never changed with a rage tweet … at least not in the last couple of years. Positive change never came from a Facebook post. Now negative change, as I talked about in my last post, we got more than our share. We’ve got to get back to the part where we SPEAK to one another. Ignore the barking from the corners, turn to your fellow human sitting in the seat next to you, and smile. Offer a little joy, share a laugh, and buy the guy behind you in line a cup of coffee. It’ll make you feel better, and it may just start a movement to calm everyone the hell down.