Carindale Writers Group

I suppose, like most people, I occasionally feel the need to gripe about something or someone who has offended my outlook on life. Because these outbursts reflect a more negative side to my usual, balanced perspective, I find it hard to think of a ‘favourite’ gripe. They are usually comments or actions I’d like to forget, rather than see as a favourite.

So, I feel drawn to thinking about gripes that occur more frequently, or ones about which I am unable to come up with a solution.

These include, in no particular order, because, as mentioned, I don’t have favourites;

1. Car drivers who do not turn on their headlights on dusk (sometimes even after nightfall).
2. Car drivers who do not indicate, or leave the blinkers on after completing their turn.  
3. Travelling from A to B across Brisbane and getting red lights at every intersection. Usually this occurs when you are working to a tight deadline.
4. Sports betting ads on the TV at any time, and especially during the news hour.
5. Stupid ads on TV that don’t seem relevant to the product they are trying to sell.
6. Kids riding electric skateboards on my walking track, who do not in any way indicate they are about to go whizzing past you at supersonic speed.
7. Dog owners who largely ignore whatever noise their beloved pet might make be making 24/7.
8. Having to use the “do it yourself’ register at the supermarket because all other registers with checkout operators are overflowing with packed trolleys waiting to be processed. Invariably something goes wrong in the process and a staff member must intervene.
9. Picking the wrong queue at entry to some event, only to see all other queues get in before you.
10. Parents expecting solutions to youth violence issues by government or other authorities (none of which involve their input to those solutions).

In summary, even though I accept these gripes bother me, I am much more inclined to looking at ways around them.

Maybe I could just ignore other car drivers doing wrong things on the road around me, factor in more time to cross town allowing for red lights, turn off the TV, walk on the track during school times, wear ear plugs at home, utilize a supermarket’s home shopping service, learn how to access the express queue, and ignore social media attempts to promote some social issues as the government’s problem to fix.

Then I’d have nothing to gripe about!

Maybe I should just think about all the things that work well and enjoy how well off we really are.

By Dave Shellshear