This Is Not Complaining

On Sunday Morning, Bill Geist did a piece about a group of people who started a "no complaining" movement. The goal for these people is to not complain about anything for 21 days.

And not surprisingly, this whole idea touched a nerve for me.

First of all I should mention that I didn't get to actually HEAR a lot of what was being said on the TV because the boys were running around like... oh, like maniacs. Which brings me to my first point, or question. When is it complaining? If I say something like "Nathan can't speak unless he's yelling," is that a complaint, or an observation? Because it's true. It's also FUNNY, or at least I think it is, in a way. Probably not when I'm trying to hear what people are saying on television. Or when I'm trying to hear the tax guy on the phone. But afterwards, when I'm thinking about it, it does make me giggle, which is why I relay the information to YOU, the reader.

My second comment is... well, isn't complaining sometimes useful? I mean, if someone brings you the wrong drink when you're out to dinner, or someone is standing on your foot... is bringing it up complaining? Or, if they do it on a regular basis and you just want to talk about it to resolve the problem, is bringing it up complaining? nothing would ever get resolved if we just swallowed our objections. I would still be making steaks the way Steve hates them, and he would still be leaving his jacket on the kitchen counter.

I understand that complaining isn't always useful, the same way gossip isn't useful. But I'm here to stick up for the useful kind of complaining. Especially the kind that is funny. Because without that dark, twisted side of humor that goes along with some of the things I complain about... well, I'm not sure I would have THAT much more to say.