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Yeah, I hate it when someone forwards me that command to "Turn Off Faux News"...
I hate being instructed to share or make an affirmative, along with a guilt comment. I never comply with those. But I don't think those posters are necessarily grouchy.
I notice this mainly with old men--my contemporaries or older, but sometimes I notice it with women too. Every thing someone says is greeted with a retort about the horrible government, our president or government workers, or lawyers.
I sat behind some old guy in a restaurant yesterday and heard a constant whiny, complaining, cliche ridden stream of complaints about the government. OK, you hate government, and a bunch of other stuff. I don't want to hear about it everywhere I go. And if I am talking to you socially, don't launch into a tirade about the "gumment." I've heard enough tirades. You are adding nothing to the intellectual climate, and you are making me tired of talking to you.
If you are in a restaurant, please don't preach a sermon to you dinner companion so loudly the rest of the restaurant can hear you. No one cares! Everyone wants you to just shut up.
And if you post on FB, please, leave off the politics. You should not assume that I agree with you. I don't burden my FB posts with my ideological beliefs, and I am probably not interested in yours. Politics should be off limits there, or at least I wish it was. I am interested in you, not your reposts from Fox or Breitbart--or MSNBC.
You have the right to speak whenever and whatever you like. I don't want to abridge that. But in social situations, could you just tone it down?
Could you be less grouchy?
Thanks.
What else is there to discuss? Counterintuition (big word for "stupidity" on a purely common sense level) is very annoying - especially in your face, everywhere you go, once you've lived for 60+ years.
These days I'm waiting for my $750.000 rebate from the government - which according to my conservative estimate, is what affirmative action costed me. I'll take part of it in food stamps now that a dozen eggs (on a totally phony basis, you realize) are 50% higher than a year ago; etc., etc.
BTW - that guy was sitting BEHIND you. He wasn't "socializing" with you. Don't like it? Move to another table.
It's apparent that the word "grumpy" is used to describe quite a wide number of attitudes and as usual, our nonspecific language fails us. There is a "sullen" connotation to "grumpy"—a feeling of ill-will toward others, curtness, even unhappiness. A state of being disgruntled.
Unfortunately we use the word for lack of anything more specific when we describe people who are not necessarily "grumpy" but quite opinionated and vocal about it. That seems to me unfair. I've known three quite cool elders who were highly opinionated and frequently outspoken (not rude though) at gatherings. Bring up a subject and they'd hammer on for ten minutes. It was great to see them animated instead of sunken sullenly over their bibs.
Every time someone brings up the state of the world they seem to be labeled "negative." Hogwash. We are not mandated to carry around a pollyanna attitude all day long just because we're old. Seniors have a right to be highly opinionated and vocal about it (not constantly of course). We're on the last leg of our journey, so let it rip!
I have opinions. People have told me that they always know where I stand. I have certainly stood my ground on a few threads on CD. It is the continual grouchiness that I seem to note as background music as I go about my life that finally gets to me. Or I'll be making pleasant small talk with someone, and he or she slips in a snarky dig at one of his/her pet peeves. It is tiresome.
Most of my friends do not do that, thank goodness.
Life is way too short to be a self-proclaimed victim of every possible wrong that you can imagine. This is especially true of the crabby Baby Boomers who need to realize that they will be extinct in a few decades. Do they really want to be spending their “golden years” complaining? It seems that some do. I know a few personally who seem to be committed to being unhappy. They identify with their grievances. It’s what keeps them going — what gets them out of bed in the morning. Baby Boomers were once labeled “The Me Generation” and the focus back then was on self-fulfillment, enlightenment and a healthy dose of idealism and far-out possibility. Those life goals seem to have soured for many people over the years.
And you tell me
Over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
I'm 67 and, sure, I have complaints but change takes time and we will be gone or in "the home" before anything meaningful happens at this stage. It is the young people who have it in their power to make meaningful change and all the old curmudgeons in the world won’t make a difference. They aren't listening to crabby old blowhards. Instead of complaining, use that energy and time to help a cause that you believe in and that might allow your kids or grandkids to have a better life. That is the legacy that people should aspire to.
I'd rather hear the opinions of real people on the street about the important issues of our times than drivel about the usual senior stuff, aches and pains and operations and grandchildren, which I hear enough about at the senior center when I shut my ears and just do the gym over there. In my opinion, seniors do not get involved in serious conversation enough. Airing opinions and attempts at (hopefully) intellgent debate is imo always good. Our generation is the hugest one sweeping through; if we don't care about our world and also try in some small way to act on and influence things, we're all too willingly leaving our world in a mess. Three seniors I know are now working on a local effort concerning climate change, for instance.
I think the grumpy complaints arise out of ignorance or just incapacity to absorb the complexity of the problems that we face. i think many of them repeat the complaints about the "gumment" because it seems the thing to say and makes one feel like you are part of some community.
but i also meet older people who can intelligently talk about world affairs and have considered opinions. it is very pleasant and refreshing to be with them, like drinking water when you are thirsty. often these people also happen to be liberal, listen to NPR and read newspapers.
ever consider that if people do not complain or act grumpy none of the bad stuff happening will be understood or changed, sometimes the squeakiest wheel gets the grease.
if you do not like hearing people complain get up and leave, find another restaurant, or venue and hang with the kool aide crowd
what bad stuff happening has changed by grumpy complaining about the government?
I complain about the goverment plenty on the LA and Calif.forums. They all tell me to move but I'm too old, too established, have too much stuff, and have friends.
If they don't have a good retort they call me a troll.
I know a retired friend who just sits on the couch all day watching Fox news and constantly complains about the government, the prez, and "those people".
I'd rather be dead.
I have one of those friends also.
While he has almost as much money as I do, he pinches every penny two or three times, never allows himself to experience any joy, and admits that he is an extremely unhappy person. The only thing that he seems to do--other than watching Faux News--is keep stockpiling weapons.
Like you, I would rather be dead than succumb to that mindset.
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