500 Words on Outrage

500 Words on Outrage — Blue Ink Alchemy

Between the political landscape and my personal situation, it's very tempting to just type out the word "AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGHHHHH" 500 times and be done with it. It's also tempting to just fire up a video game and try to forget about the things that are taking up space in my brain and making me froth at the mouth. However, no amount of playing cards, rolling dice, or escorting payloads contributes to the solutions of the problems at hand. And even if I spend my time writing fiction or working on programming tutorials and projects, there's a nagging voice inside of my head telling me that my time should be spent finding more work, or doing something about my country's political situation, or fighting for the rights of others. You know, addressing the stuff that makes me angry. Anger, as an emotion, can get a bad rap. I remember Yoda saying in the first Star Wars prequel "fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering," as if there's always a linear path that emotions take. Anger is almost always spoken of in negative terms. After all, anger fuels a lot of negative or violent outbursts. But as with so many things in life, the proper application of anger can get a lot done. Anger is a problem, as are its causes; what matters is how we use that emotional energy to create some sort of solution. It motivates us to finish more projects, to put forward better behaviors, to act in defiance of injustice. Sure, there are those who subscribe to false narratives and let their misinformed anger push them to make bad decisions. But I'd like to think, optimist that I am, that those folks are in a small (but very vocal) minority. I get little bits of hope, here and there. Seeing people come together in solidarity to fight back against abuse. Social media exchanges of trying to reach a mutual understanding in a civil discussion. Servants of justice constructing their cases to take down the wicked. A phone interview. A comment on Ao3. A hug and a kiss from a loved one. Play of the Game in Overwatch. It quiets those annoying head weasel voices that try to convince me I'm wasting my time and getting nothing of substance done. I have to look after myself, stay on top of my mood, and keep from falling to pieces. It's self-care. It's necessary. I have a lot going for me, when I stop to look at it. There's a lot of love in my life. I'm in a safe place. I'm trying to keep an eye on my diet and what little income I've actually got, and doing my utmost not to be a drain on my family or friends. The outrage remains. It bubbles under the surface. It seeps out through cracks in my veneer. But at least it's not exploding. Because nobody deserves that. I'm using my anger; I refuse to let it use me.

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Blue Ink Alchemy