Try Being Nice

I woke up this morning still alive and for that I am truly grateful. After the necessary intake of coffee, orange juice and fish oil I turned on my computer and found that a total stranger had sent me a message. Understanding that to read it involved risk, I decided to go for it and was immediately sorry. It concerned a review I had posted online for the movie Sully. I hadn't much cared for the film and said so. As anyone who has ever read one of my movie reviews can attest, they don't follow the formula of who's in it, what's the plot, who directed, blah, blah, blah; there are plenty of those out there already. Instead I report what, for me, stood out, and do it in a stream of consciousness sort of way.

Many people have told me they find my reviews helpful, telling them what they want to know without telling too much. But this particular guy wrote: "No offense, but that was a shitty review." I responded by saying that I did take offense, and wondered why he couldn't simply have written, "I don't agree, I enjoyed the film very much. Sorry you didn't." Or something like that. Why resort to nasty gutter talk so quickly?

It's funny when people start out by saying "No offense," and then go on to say something offensive, as if by saying "No offense" first you will actually not take offense. It doesn't work. For example: "No offense but you are stupid." "No offense but that dress makes you look like a whale." "No offense but that is one ugly baby you've got there." 

People are in so much pain, I'm guessing. That's why they plant bombs in dumpsters on the streets of a big city, and stab people at random in a shopping mall, and tell complete strangers they suck, as if hurting others will somehow alleviate their own pain. Of course it doesn't work. The next time you're angry at someone, try being nicer to yourself. Go for a run or eat a bowl of oatmeal. Just don't lash out at someone else and expect to feel better. Hurting other living things is never a good course of action, unless it's a mosquito and then all bets are off.