Funny, but you never hear about any of those guys up in the North Pacific who catch crab for a living getting so stressed out that they have to blow away all their shipmates and/or the captain of the boat. I don't think too many of us have jobs more stressful than theirs, so perhaps it is something else altogether?

As for me, when I am in a job I really don't care for, where people don't respect me and I am being treated inconsiderately (at least to my way of thinking), I look for something else to do. It is not that hard to find work these days, with or without a college degree. You may not be able to support the lifestyle you've grown accustomed to by putting up with the crap at work for the better pay, but life is all about compromise and making do, so if the stress ain't worth the paycheck, then move on. There is no such thing as a career anymore for most of us anyways, so the best you can hope for is to find something you are reasonably good at, make yourself useful, and grow a few back feathers so if some knothead decides to take out his frustrations on you it won't break your heart.

Life is tough, people who don't learn that early in life usually struggle and blame others for their own problems and pains. No one is forced to do work they hate in an environment they can't tolerate for pay. If you make a bad choice or decision, then change it yourself and move on. I have a family and kids just like a lot of us, and I am accountable to them just the same, but I don't use that as an excuse to endure self-imposed misery. I find alternatives, I create opportunities, I pray for help, then I make decisions as to what is best for me and mine.

When I met my wife, she was working at the Post Office, and enduring no end of antagonism and grief from her supervisors at work. She'd been doing this for 10 years, and once we got married and she got pregnant, they were all the worse to her. I contemplated going down and dealing with her boss myself a couple times. I was young and inexperienced, but I realized that by bashing the b'jesus outta her boss I would only make bigger problems, so as soon as she had the kid (which her work paid 5 figures for) I had her quit and we moved on to other things. The ensuing 18 year journey has led me to a lot of opportunities, a few hardships, and some real unique life experiences. Along the way we managed to raise a couple of really well adjusted kids, and they are now making the most of their opportunities and building a good start to their own lives. I expect the wife and I will continue our adventures and will be able to care for ourselves and maybe leave a little something for our grandkids some day. That is as much as any of us could hope for, and certainly all we can ever expect; to end our lives without owing or being owed. We all want to chase the dream, to reach for the brass ring, but you don't gain anything without a certain amount of risk and a little struggle. If you aren't up to it, then the advisable thing is not to reach too far.

Being accountable for one's own actions and not letting the words of others have such an influence is a sign of a mature and desirable citizen. It is not always a pleasant thing, but life is nonetheless a gift not to be squandered by excessive wingeing and carrying on so.

For me, with few exceptions, most every day is a good day, because no one is trying to shoot me or blow me up. Baghdad can do that for you, but not something I'd recommend for most.