GrinchyNet

I just realized it has been a while since I have posted anything. I have been extremely busy at work and in my personal life. Plus I really haven't had much to comment about. Of course I could go on and on about the current financial crisis and the 700 billion dollar bailout but why bother. Instead I would much rather discuss the stupidity of others.

One day a little over a week ago I was riding the shuttle to Union Station. Two twenty-something males were crossing the street. They could have been twins. They were dressed almost exactly the same and had the same hair style. I would describe them as Emo. A person on the shuttle made a comment about them listening to Satanic music. Now I don't know much about the Emo subculture but I don't think Satanic music falls into their realm of musical taste. I picture them listening to the Cure or Depeche Mode or whatever band is equivalent to them these days. I found this comment to be extremely ignorant and what was even more ignorant was how many people agreed. I'm not sure what a Satanist is supposed to look like but I wouldn't classify these two young men as Satanists. What would have made this funny is if I whipped out my Zune and showed them my playlist. My playlist contains mostly heavy metal music, a lot of them with Satanic themes. I wonder if I look like a Satanist? It is amazing how quickly people will stereotype you and stereotype you wrong.

On with my next stupid person. Someone made the comment to my wife that I am crazy for taking the train to work and that it would be cheaper if I drove and I would get to spend more time with my family since I would get home sooner. Now I do get home kind of late and I do wish I could get home earlier but it just isn't going to happen. As far as being cheaper to drive, I don't think so. I drive a 1999 Ford Ranger. It probably gets 15 miles to the gallon on a good day. It is 96 miles one way to work so that would be 192 miles round trip. By my calculations it would cost me roughly $820 a month at today's gas price of $3.19 a gallon. My train ticket is $250 a month and the government pays $105 of that. So let's see, $145 a month verses $820 a month, it's a no brainer to me. And as far as getting home sooner, on a good day I would get home an hour earlier than I do now. Heaven forbid it is raining or there is an accident. If any of those happen I will get home at the same time. This doesn't even take into consideration the wear and tear on my 10 year old truck. So who exactly is crazy?

I am always amazed at people. We truly are interesting creatures and some just take the cake. My wife and I run into people who just seem to think they know everything. Most of the time the people are absolutely clueless and out of touch with reality. We have endured a lot to get where we are today and I think we have a pretty good grasp on the way things work but people always seem to think they know better. Here is an example.

One lady told my wife that all people who do drugs are horrible people, that they are just the worst of the worst trying to beat the system by dealing drugs instead of working for their money. I would agree with this statement in relation to the Mafia, organized crime and the large gang networks. The average drug user/dealer probably isn't. Let me go back to the horrible people statement. Most of the people I know who have done drugs are not horrible people. At that time in their life they made a bad choice, myself included. In my situation I was drunk and it was offered to me. In my drunken stupor I decided it was worth trying. For the next year I pretty much spent every day amped up on meth. It took the support of my family and rehab to get me off meth. I am not a bad person. I just made a poor judgment call that almost ruined my life. When my wife pointed this out to the woman she would not believe it. According to her only 5% of meth addicts beat it. That may or may not be true and if it is I consider myself lucky. But this woman sees me as I am now. She can't fathom the possibility I was a drug addict at one point in my life just because I have a good job, family and home. In her eyes all drug users are scum. For this she is an idiot.

I could literally go on for days discussing the absurdly ignorant people my wife and I come in contact with on a daily basis. The funny thing is they all look at us like we are abnormal. If what they are is normal then I am just as fine as can be being abnormal.

If you have any stories like this please share them.