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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Holding on to anger



There was a man who owned a piece of land near me. He had about 6 acres and a summer home there. Our property was separated by a 3 acre parcel that was mostly swampland.

He always wanted to own that 3 acre lot. Over the years he kept telling the tale of he was promised first refusal on that property. If it ever went for sale, he would have the first chance to buy it. For whatever reason, that didn't happen. The land was sold to someone else.

It bothered the guy that he didn't own it. Year after year I'd hear the same tale on how he was cheated out of owning that land. The weird thing was, he didn't even want to do anything with it, just own it. The new buyers never did anything with it either. After all, there's only so much that can be done with three acres of swampland.

In his later days, the guy came down with Alzheimer's disease. He forgot the names of his grandkids and kids. The last thing he held on to was the hatred of losing out on the land purchase. He didn't know anything else except how he had been wronged. It made him angry and sad until his last days.

That's one of the reasons I've learned to let a lot of stuff go. I don't do it for them but for me. Anger should not be the last thing a person holds in their heart and mind.

-Sixbears

16 comments:

  1. I have tried to do that but for some damn reason my mind won't let me.
    I am a very easy going guy most of the time but if you fuck me or piss me off I will never forget it.
    I can still remember shit from forty years ago.
    Not the good stuff mind you, oh hell no, just the bad stuff.

    Must be all those brain cells I killed for entertainment for so long were the ones I needed.

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    1. I'm not saying it's easy, just that you do it for yourself.

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  2. Strange what some people think is important. Wonder what he would have done with the swamp.

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    1. It was just to own it. Not much can legally be done in a wetland. That's why the current owners haven't done anything with it. It falls about 3 feet short of having lake frontage.

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  3. That is a lesson most of us learn the HARD way, holding a grudge hurts us worse than the "Bad Guy". I've had some sleepless nights in the past, wallowing in those thoughts. I'm sure the BG doesn't even remember it - its in the past.

    Time eases the hurt and you learn to just let it slide. You don't get back the wasted time.

    Thanks for the reminder - "Serenity Now!" (Favorite Seinfeld episode) :^)

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    1. You are welcome. Maybe I'm reminding myself too.

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  4. So very true. Perhaps he wanted to trap muskrats.

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  5. Easier said than done. Sounds like he had no reasonable gripe though. Strange

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    1. You never know what a person will get fixated on. It certainly is much harder when true harm's been done.

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  6. Such a poignant tale. I have watched more than one person destroyed by hanging on to anger or bitterness like it was their best friend.

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