OTHER VOICES – ON ANGER

I, as a Child, Teenager, and Adult, experienced Anger….sometimes extreme Anger.
Unfortunately, for me, the source of it was my own Father. But this little Blog is not about my history with him. That is a long story saved for another day.

I write that only to show that, sadly and painfully, I have many years of experiences with it. And that I knows Anger when I hears it!

Frederick Buechner in his book “Wishful Thinking”, writes about “Anger”. My first thought upon reading it was that this had to be my favorite definition of Anger. But on reflection, I don’t know if one can have a favorite definition of “Anger”. After all, it is hardly an emotion one has anything “favorite” to think or feel about. It would be like having a favorite definition of Abuse, or Murder!

Lets just say that my initial reading of it was not only one of the intellect, but also a very deeply felt visceral and appreciative response to it.

I am not a Religious Man, as I see Mr. Buechner is. There are for sure many things we would disagree on. But I have learned when a voice speaks the Truth, (Obviously as I see it) – regardless of the source – embrace it as if it is your very own thought. Otherwise, not only is your Mind very limited, but sadly so are your Heart and Human Soul.

And lastly, Yes, there is appropriate Anger, that which is in response to Irrational, Despicable, Abusive, Immoral behavior. But this is not what Mr. Buechner wrote, nor what I read into it.

Mr. Buechner speaks:

“Of the Seven Deadly Sins,
Anger is possibly the most fun.
To lick your wounds,
To smack your lips
Over grievances long past

To roll over your tongue
The prospect of bitter confrontations still to come,
To savor to the last toothsome morsel
Both the pain you are given
And the pain you are giving back

In many ways it is a feast fit for a king.
The chief drawback is
That what you are wolfing down is yourself.
The skeleton at the feast is you.”