What the Orb Spider Told Me

Unfortunately, I had to disturb an Orb spider today because he had spun his beautiful web across my path. Born with PhDs in engineering these much maligned creatures do not intend to scare or annoy us...yet they do.

Anyway, after I broke the part of his web which was connected to the ground, at an angle of 45 degrees over a distance of two metres, I watched his reaction. The impact of my action was immediate, as was the response of this marvellous arachnid.

He quickly gathered the remnants of his web, first going down to the other ground anchor point, then back up, bundling as he travelled all the way back to a crack in the brick work on the wall. 

I began to wonder if he grumbled as he worked. Was he furious or just irritated? Was he complaining bitterly about the carelessness of humans before running off to have a whine to a friend with a sympathetic ear? Do spiders even have ears?

None of the above, I'm sure. Quickly and without fuss, he did what had to be done. Collected his web, and retreated to safety. He'll probably set up shop again tonight once the sun goes down.

The spider did not speak to me, because he couldn't, (he was too busy) but I was reminded of the uselessness of complaining. If there is a job to be done, just do it! Interesting timing given my last post. God bless the Orb spider.

A Complaint about Complaining

I was going to talk about trust but I don't trust myself to stay within the safe boundaries of generalisations, so I'm going to have a whinge about complaints instead. Here too, sadly, I run the risk of identifying culprits of unreasonable grumbling. To be sure there are fault finders galore in this world, but I do not wish to name and shame those I know, nor even make obvious insinuations. Also, I have been known to bleat as well, so far be it from me to throw stones.

However, the question on which I wish to focus is what is reasonable complaining and what is not. Is it fair, for example, for my neighbours to complain about the sounds I make in the kitchen as I rise early to prepare for the day? A few plates banging, the kettle boiling, the toaster popping. It may be only five thirty in the morning, but this is the time I choose to get up and who could reasonably complain about the normal noises I make?


If I add the sounds of As I Lay Dying to the audio mix then perhaps I am going too far. If I sing loudly, or stomp or take no thought for the clashing of cups and cutlery in the sink, then maybe there are reasonable grounds.

There are things which we simply have to endure. No matter how annoying or disturbing they are. I find the sound of motorcycles irritating, for example, but I can hardly expect all the riders, lovers as they are of those two wheeled machines, to stop assaulting my senses simply to please me. I don't understand rudeness or laziness but I have neither the power nor the authority to do anything about it.

What I can do is fill the ears of like minded people with my cavilling. On this common ground, we cement an affinity which makes us feel good. Justified even. Dare I say righteous without inferring self righteousness? (because that is another thing I don't like) - I didn't know how to properly punctuate that sentence. Some readers will complain about that which is fair enough too because I do purport to be a writer.

This is so much fun, I have no desire to stop and yet, I must.

My first attempt at a book was called What's Your Problem? It was a book about complaining which one editor said they "did not get", and I gave up. That was many years ago, and I have learned much since in terms of doggedness, and understanding that many people do not 'get' me or 'get' what I write, but I don't care.

I invite you to a have a whinge. Moan away right here in the comments. Go on. You know you want to get something off your chest.

Photograph sources:
http://thewaytoactuality.com/complaining-is-a-spiritual-issue/
http://www.recruitingblogs.com/profiles/blogs/stop-complaining-hire

Positively Negative

Nobody likes negative people. Spending time with a negative person is like an hour at the bloodbank where you sit there and a nurse inserts a needle in your arm and they drain your blood. Your lifeforce slowly ebbs away into a plastic bag and when it's over you feel a little weary and fuzzy in the head.

Super positive people can be just as bad for your health. Spending time with them is more like running 10 kilometres in 40 degree heat. It's hard to keep going, it's painful and it's exhausting. At some point you feel like staggering off the course and calling it quits because you feel like you can't go on.

I prefer to focus on the positive. A wise man has suggested that we should let our minds dwell on whatever is lovely, beautiful, noble, praiseworthy or excellent, and that we should be thankful for what we have rather than moan about what we don't have.

This theory can be difficult to put into practice.For one thing it is easier to find fault and to complain. Especially in some circumstances. It requires great effort of will to remain positive and yet avoid a complete denial of reality.

Earlier this week I flew to Melbourne for business. It was a great opportunity for me to further my career and in the wash up will provide me with some more work and some invaluable experience. However it wasn't long into my six and half hour journey home that the shine started to fade.The return trip involved two taxi rides, two train rides and the flight. The actual flight takes less than an hour. You barely hit cruising speed and altitude when the captain announces it's time to land.If the plane had picked me up from the meeting and delivered me home to my front door, it really would have been a quick trip.

You see how easy it is. I could have kept that last paragraph rolling on. I could have turned it into two or three paragraphs of woe about my long road home. It really sucked. I had good trip overall and I'm really glad I went but when I walked in the front door after six and a half hours of travelling, I felt flatter than a pancake.

How can I tell the tale of my voyage to Melbourne without the bad stuff? If I just talk about what was good, then I'm not presenting the whole picture. How can I talk about what was bad without sounding like a whinger? I probably already do.

What kind of person are you?
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	A realistic optimist
	A realistic pessimist
	something esle
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