When Perfectly Lovely People Go Crazy

Quote du jour: Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. ~William James

Is it me? Is it spring? Is it the fact that we're overbooked, overextended, overcharged, overwrought? After all, not much has materially changed in the world. The economy still stinks, climate change is still making itself known, and nations are still at war with themselves or with each other. I'm honestly not sure why the dour moods, but perfectly lovely people are going. crazy these days. I made the mistake of asking one perfectly lovely man "how are you doing". He told me. In. No. Uncertain. Terms. He's stable, he's healthy, he's just really cranky. And a little crazy these days. Maybe it's allergies?

I asked another perfectly lovely person, "What do you think?" And she told me. In. No. Uncertain. Terms. She's prosperous, she's healthy, her ideas and opinions are considered helpful, and she was really cranky. REALLY cranky.

And then there are the kids. You'd think they had been imbibing an endless supply of sugared drinks and are now undergoing a heinous withdrawal. School is ending soon. They. Should. Be. Happy.

I don't get it. I used to be surrounded by charming, quirky types. Now I'm surrounded by dementors.

What's the solution? Well, since I am not prepared to renounce all human interaction, it's time to turn the dial on my sense of humor to high and use a variety of other means to keep myself sane and in relationship without needing to fix anything or doing damage to hard won trust. And tell myself that the pollen will diminish and the perfectly lovely people will cycle out of this phase and back to their perfectly lovely selves. And laugh. At myself. At our human foibles. Often.

After all, it's just common sense. . . dancing.