Anger is Good for you. Official.
The title of Metallica’s new album (love it or hate it … see the Forum for a discussion on this) comes from James Hetfield’s idea that anger has as much need of a patron saint as anything else. It’s a positive emotion, he asserts, not negative, and it should be used. Sometimes I agree with him. Too many of us spend too long bottling up our anger, whereas a good outburst now and then can clear the air, relieve tension and produce some positive outcomes.
Of course, it’s not always practicable to launch into a tirade against someone who makes you angry. But here’s one example where I wish I could:
I live in a lovely part of the world, in a village in South Wales. A minute in any direction and there’s countryside; woods, a canal, nice walks, wonderful views, farms and wilds. A great place to bring up kids. A good place to live. Clean.
Well, not always.
Driving home a couple of nights ago I was amazed at the amount of litter along the roadside. The council had been cutting the verges and hedges, and in doing so they had revealed the detritus of a thousand journeys. Bottles, bags, McDonald wrappers, newspapers, cardboard boxes, a hundred other bits of refuse that ignorant dog dicks decided they couldn’t keep in their cars until they got home, but which had to be ejected from their windows as soon as possible. It was truly offensive, this sea of litter and waste decorating an otherwise picturesque setting, and I muttered my usual curse against such assholes.
Of course, this has got nothing do with with writing. Unless … well, maybe Metallica are right. Maybe I should embrace my anger, not let it filter out as a few choice words and a bottled up frustration at these people. Follow them home, perhaps. Empty my dustbins in their back garden. Or worse.
I guess it just means that there are two types of people in the world: those who respect the world we live in; those who don’t. And out of those who don’t, I wonder how many would kick up a storm if a great wind came and blew all their disposed-of rubbish back at them.
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Tomorrow, I’m off to London to meet with some film companies. I’m nervous and excited in equal measures. I’ll post something here to tell you about my London Adventure very soon.
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