Whatever it's called, it's the opposite
I try, very, very hard, not to indulge too often or too deeply in schadenfreude. I've had that turned on me far too often to feel any kind of good about turning it on other people, no matter how deserving. And so while every so often, someone's disaster gives me a moment's squee, more often than not, it's the other way around...
More often than not, my squee-ness for my own circumstances gets shoved aside when I hear about someone having a not so great time, or a disappointment.
And I'm kind of torn about this, because I feel like part of what helps keep life bouncing along well is openly celebrating the goodness of what happens to you. Like attracts like and all that. So if you're happy to be alive, or you were sick and are feeling better, or you get a raise, or you fall in love, or all manner of goodly stuff happens to you, the first impulse is to share it--to blog it--to dance around in little squee circles in sheer gratitude. But at the same time, I often don't do that, because I am mindful of the harder situations going on out there, and I also know that, in a lot of areas, it ain't going to get any better.
I watched the President's news conference last night, and I read an article this morning about how close the country--and the world really--came to within 24 hours of completely tanking, economically, one scary day last September. And I know that there are people out there who are hurting, hurting, hurting...
And I am so grateful that we are in a fairly good position right now that I could just cry. Not rolling in dough, mind you, but definitely making enough to make going to work a worthwhile thing. And yesterday, after a positively craptastic week at work last week, I had a meeting with the boss where I found out that I'll be getting my bonus in the next check, and my merit raise come April. And I was delirious that our company was able to do that for us, not just because it's going to come in really handy, but also because they felt that the reason to do it is to honor their commitment to us, the folks who do the work, rather than the big guys that sit in the head offices. Knowing that you are valued is 9/10ths of the goodness that is news like this. And I would be lying to you if I told you that it didn't cause much w00t in this household yesterday, and that it didn't turn my whole day around at work.
But at the same time, I feel like a schmuck talking about it.
So I guess, in a way, this is a PSA...
I really try not to grind your noses in our good fortune when it happens to us. But at the same time, there are going to be times when I can't contain myself--and I don't really want to, because I really and truly believe that the celebration and the gratitude is what grows more of the same.
But I'm not unaware, and it's not schadenfreude.
But...yay?
More often than not, my squee-ness for my own circumstances gets shoved aside when I hear about someone having a not so great time, or a disappointment.
And I'm kind of torn about this, because I feel like part of what helps keep life bouncing along well is openly celebrating the goodness of what happens to you. Like attracts like and all that. So if you're happy to be alive, or you were sick and are feeling better, or you get a raise, or you fall in love, or all manner of goodly stuff happens to you, the first impulse is to share it--to blog it--to dance around in little squee circles in sheer gratitude. But at the same time, I often don't do that, because I am mindful of the harder situations going on out there, and I also know that, in a lot of areas, it ain't going to get any better.
I watched the President's news conference last night, and I read an article this morning about how close the country--and the world really--came to within 24 hours of completely tanking, economically, one scary day last September. And I know that there are people out there who are hurting, hurting, hurting...
And I am so grateful that we are in a fairly good position right now that I could just cry. Not rolling in dough, mind you, but definitely making enough to make going to work a worthwhile thing. And yesterday, after a positively craptastic week at work last week, I had a meeting with the boss where I found out that I'll be getting my bonus in the next check, and my merit raise come April. And I was delirious that our company was able to do that for us, not just because it's going to come in really handy, but also because they felt that the reason to do it is to honor their commitment to us, the folks who do the work, rather than the big guys that sit in the head offices. Knowing that you are valued is 9/10ths of the goodness that is news like this. And I would be lying to you if I told you that it didn't cause much w00t in this household yesterday, and that it didn't turn my whole day around at work.
But at the same time, I feel like a schmuck talking about it.
So I guess, in a way, this is a PSA...
I really try not to grind your noses in our good fortune when it happens to us. But at the same time, there are going to be times when I can't contain myself--and I don't really want to, because I really and truly believe that the celebration and the gratitude is what grows more of the same.
But I'm not unaware, and it's not schadenfreude.
But...yay?