What I Do When I Don't Have a Punching Bag

In ’94 the BYU Bookstore had a great selection of Jack(son) Hand(il)y “Deep(est) Th(i)oughts” greeting cards. After American Heritage study sessions on the lawn outside the bookstore, Dori and I used to go into the store to read the greeting cards and laugh our heads off. In particular I’ll never forget this one card that described what to do if you ever go temporarily insane – basically it suggested that one should get some weeding done rather than shoot somebody, like a lot of people do, because of how surprised you’d be.

I like that because it makes sense. Even if I never were to go temporarily insane, if I were to get angry or frustrated I would rather thrash on a piñata or beat the stuffing out of a punching bag rather than put my hand through a wall or someone’s face.

Since I currently am in possession of neither, from now on to settle down I plan on blogging. In the heat of the moment I may post a confusing, poignant, and pointed blog. If I allow myself to cool off and wait ‘till Sunday, then I will post a retro-meditative perspectived blog. During the week if I experience no episodes of anger or frustration, then I will simple use the Sunday Settle-downs to post something calming and peaceful, like perhaps an Ode to Water such as this one that I learned in Germany (if I can remember it correctly): “Nichts in der Welt ist ebenso weich als Wind und Wasser, doch nichts hat mehr Gewalt!” Translation: Nothing in the World is as soft as Wind and Water, certainly nothing has more Force!”

~~ Serenity Dave