tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post2649857809880982322..comments2023-03-18T03:41:29.822-07:00Comments on Once Upon A Word: DO WE COMPLAIN TOO MUCH? #celiayeary #rebeccajvickery #publishingbyrebeccajvickery-vtpAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16703677258513182786noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-4376610857273119712016-07-25T17:30:00.751-07:002016-07-25T17:30:00.751-07:00I do this all the time...drivers I do not know, pu...I do this all the time...drivers I do not know, pushy people in the grocery store, etc. <br />I'm glad you liked the excerpt.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-41278530035877414032016-07-25T17:28:51.236-07:002016-07-25T17:28:51.236-07:00Oh, my, I love that story. I have read it three ti...Oh, my, I love that story. I have read it three times, now, every time I return to this comment site. How wonderful. How you know to do this, I'm sure is a mystery to me but I can see you were familiar with the process. And how wonderful the man couldn't speak English very well. I LOVE this story. You are a wonder, Sarah...love you!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-22687153287820807172016-07-25T17:25:50.994-07:002016-07-25T17:25:50.994-07:00Oh, we all do at some time or another. Tonight? I ...Oh, we all do at some time or another. Tonight? I have complained off and on for a hour at....well, you know what. So, I will stop, and either watch with my mouth shut, or turn it off and read The Revenant. That should make me stop complaining. <br /> Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-49438239594061270212016-07-25T17:22:57.393-07:002016-07-25T17:22:57.393-07:00Yes, this is the case. Complaining served a purpos...Yes, this is the case. Complaining served a purpose--pulling people together and at least for a few moments, were bonded in some kind of positive relationship. I know you are not a complainer, and I try not to be. I do have a particular friend that I cannot spend much time with, because everything is wrong and she complains. Thanks for you comment!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-22521489604522102782016-07-25T17:18:48.701-07:002016-07-25T17:18:48.701-07:00See? In this case complaining served a good purpos...See? In this case complaining served a good purpose resulting in something positive. It bonded the group in their general feelings and discontent. Even though you all knew you would follow orders, still, you all had that inner gloating that the corps was united in at east one thing. My husband was stationed in Metz, France in the early fifties, and he, to, said this was the norm. The guys bonded by sticking together, and everyone complaining about the same things were therapeutic. Thanks for you example, for it was "right on."Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-9085748186918977282016-07-25T12:39:13.201-07:002016-07-25T12:39:13.201-07:00Great--I'm glad you got from the post that com...Great--I'm glad you got from the post that complaining is not always bad. Chronic complaining is...but sometimes it even invokes inspiration. Thanks!<br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16272417114895975742noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-4328027997723740832016-07-24T19:04:13.552-07:002016-07-24T19:04:13.552-07:00Yes. I complain to myself or my hubby about what s...Yes. I complain to myself or my hubby about what strangers do, even though what they do has no impact on me. Not a good habit.<br /> Your excerpt is cute, by the way.Morgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00885472833094930724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-66104595374714064592016-07-24T19:04:06.197-07:002016-07-24T19:04:06.197-07:00Yes. I complain to myself or my hubby about what s...Yes. I complain to myself or my hubby about what strangers do, even though what they do has no impact on me. Not a good habit.<br /> Your excerpt is cute, by the way.Morgan Mandelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00885472833094930724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-60513449428954773472016-07-24T18:12:29.273-07:002016-07-24T18:12:29.273-07:00I do believe the more a person complains, the more...I do believe the more a person complains, the more negative they become. It's like a spiraling vortex and draws others into it like a tornado sucking them up in the momentum of negativity. Working in an intense environment like critical care is made all the more difficult by those who constantly complain. I once worked with a director who finally had enough of the negativity and told us, to come to him with a complaint ONLY when we had a solution to suggest for it. I liked that decision. People had to set their minds to positive solutions.<br />Last year my neighbor left his dog out in the yard in 20 degree weather even when it snowed with only a roof, no sides, to his shelter. I raged and complained about how awful he was to treat his dog so poorly until I just decided to do something about it. I bought a study blue tarp, some twin, and a bale of hay and put them on the man's driveway with a card I stamped with a picture of his dog and drew a picture how he could add these items to the roof in order to make his dog a snug, warm shelter. I had to draw a picture because he speaks very little English. The next day he put that shelter together just the way I drew it. Later, he built sides for the dog house and improved the dwelling on his own. I felt a whole lot better--no more complaints.<br />I can't believe I haven't read this anthology yet. I love Christmas anthologies and, when it's hot like this, they actually make me feel cool. I really need to buy Have Yourself A Merry Little Romance.Sarah J. McNealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17749991094677728042noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-45027014892253710642016-07-24T17:48:34.107-07:002016-07-24T17:48:34.107-07:00I gripe a little, but if something's bothering...I gripe a little, but if something's bothering me, complaining isn't enough. I try to fix it.Maggie Toussainthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12011893139722870283noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-2587425702388278532016-07-24T17:36:42.362-07:002016-07-24T17:36:42.362-07:00I think a lot of people complain as a way of start...I think a lot of people complain as a way of starting a conversation, or just as a conversational gambit in general. <br /><br />It's natural to start a conversation with strangers by talking about the weather. "Boy, isn't it hot today? Too hot to even be out. I should be home in my air conditioning." (Realize here that there are many people who don't have air conditioning to go home to.)<br />"Boy, it's cold today! Can you believe this snow? And the ice! I can't even get out of my house to go to the store!" (Realize here that many people don't have a house, a car, or money to spend at the store for groceries.)<br /><br />"Well, I had to take my dog Bella to the vet today. It cost a fortune!" (The thought should come to us here, that even though it cost a fortune, the pet that we love so much is going to be well because we had the availability of a good vet--yes, even though it's going to cost a fortune--and Bella would do it for us if she could!)<br /><br />And so on. But all these things have in common that fact that they are a way of starting conversation or expressing a fear through a complaint. So I just try to understand when people complain that it's not always about what they're complaining about. <br /><br />I hope I'm not a complainer. But I have been guilty of the weather conversation starter. That's a pretty harmless one. LOL <br /><br />Great post, Celia. Always love your take on things.Cheryl Piersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18116526340220274282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-71220707686267852142016-07-24T14:36:43.597-07:002016-07-24T14:36:43.597-07:00I first learned to complain in the military. We co...I first learned to complain in the military. We complained about the food, the work, the First Sergeants, the Commander, and especially the crappy bases we were assigned to. But it was a bonding ritual, in that case. We just needed affirmation we were sharing our miserable time together. After I got out of the military I fell out of the habit. Mostly. Gerald Costlowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09629993135051504254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3135368746376329105.post-27678841287678251602016-07-24T13:23:20.143-07:002016-07-24T13:23:20.143-07:00Hi Celia. Today I am on time so no complaints ther...Hi Celia. Today I am on time so no complaints there. I am guilty of complaining, but I usually do it in a "tongue-in-cheek" way which I like to think of as "Erma Bombeck-ish." Some things just seem to need calling attention to and hopefully the words will strike a chord with others. Some complaints about a subject common to all, will spur someone to take action to correct them. But I do agree that chronic complainers (whiners)are annoying to be around and I hope I'm not guilty of that! This post is a good reminder to help me make an effort to avoid that. Thanks.Linda Swifthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00749255692298669394noreply@blogger.com