Let's Disable Anger

It is a waste of time to be angry about my disability. One has to get on with life and I haven't done badly. People won't have time for you if you are always angry or complaining.
Stephen Hawking (1942 - ), Interview with The Guardian (UK) September 27, 2005

Anger -- what a waste!

I agree with Dr. Hawking. Anger takes too much time and energy. I do not have enough of either to justify wasting it on being angry, but there are times when just maybe . . .

In September, Carla Luis was forced off a scheduled London flight. Luis is a much-traveled activist, but this day the pilot refused to fly because she had neither a medical certificate nor a companion which it was determined she surely needed because she had no legs. Huh? She was not sick, and several other passengers volunteered to be her companion for that flight, but that was not good enough. Now that's worthy of anger, but Ms. Luis did not squander her time fighting with the airline. She took another flight to Lisbon with no problem.

Everybody is angry sometimes. I understand that. Facing disability brings us face-to-face with all we cannot do. There are many things that spark irritation.

Larry Huss writes a piece about people who park in spaces designated for disabled drivers.  This seems to be a popular reason for anger.  We have all gone to the store only to find our special places occupied by cars not marked with tags.  Coffeefanatic has written 10 ways disabled people are insulted by thoughtless jerks.

Instead of letting our anger fester and becoming angrier and increasing our stress level, we should focus on what can be done and let any anger fuel energy for something positive.  But when we are angry, it is sometimes difficult to decide what to do.

Here's an idea. October 27 is Make a Difference Day -- let's take advantage of that. The day is observed by working for a non-profit organization or performing community service. However, any action that makes a difference counts, even reaching out to an individual. Maybe a small unexpected kindness to someone who is angry will bring a smile and deflate that intense, negative feeling.

Why waste time with anger when we can use that time to make a difference in our world or community or maybe in just one person's life? It would make a difference in our lives, too.