- cell phones ringing at inappropriate times
- people who insist on chewing gum noisily with their mouth open
- Angelina and Brad
- bad drivers
- fair-weather friends
- litter
- people who insist on talking at meetings – (keep it short, keep it pithy, let’s get out of here!)
- cruelty to animals
- warm toilet seats
- techo-dance music
- self-absorbed, know-it-all, obnoxious, loud, rude people
- bad grammar
- Tom Cruise
- warm beer
- people who talk during movies
- snobs
- thinking of a witty comment when the moment has passed
- bullies
- sycophants
- people who whine about the weather
- sit-coms, and while we’re at it, reality TV and American rip-offs of British TV shows (they just don’t work, people!).
Generally speaking, I’m a mild-mannered person, but as you may have gathered, I’m also in possession of a little-inner-angry-self. We all are: we wouldn’t be human if we weren’t, and we’d certainly be an extremely inhibited and boring lot if we didn’t vent a little frustration once in a while. In the same way that we come in all manner of shapes and sizes, we also come with a whole range of personality baggage.
Now, I’m not suggesting that an inner-angry-self is necessarily a good thing; I’m just saying that we all need to admit that we have one, and that some people are more competent at maintaining and controlling their wee angry friend than others. Basil Fawlty is certainly not one of them and neither was Henry the Eighth. Who knows, the whole royal lineage of England may have been totally altered had Henry sought out the Thunder Bay Public Library’s vast selection of self-help material. Similarly, Evander Holyfield may not be absent an ear, and a pigeon its head if Mike Tyson and Ozzy Osbourne, respectively, had just taken the time to browse our shelves.
TBPL has some interesting reading materials catering not only for the famous and the infamous, but for all of us whose personal aim is for self-improvement or who simply have an interest in the psychology, sociology or philosophy relating to personality types. A quick search of our library catalogue comes up with some interesting titles on the subjects of anger and stress management. A few of my favourites are:
Why is everyone so cranky?: The ten trends that are making us angry and how we can find peace of mind
60 ways to reduce stress in 60 seconds
Don’t eat the soup as hot as they cook it: The story of a family learning to manage stress effectively in today’s 24/7 world
You’ll also find such titles as:
Anxiety, phobias and panic: A step-by-step program for regaining control of your life
Feel 30 for the next 50 years
The highly sensitive person: How to thrive when the world overwhelms you
Anything listed as Digital Media will take you to NetLibrary where you can read whole books online or download them. You’ll need your library card and password handy if you access this database.
TBPL’s Virtual Collection also provides access to several databases where you can source articles on a variety of topics, ranging from peer-reviewed articles in academic journals to magazine and newspaper articles. The Health and Wellness database also provides information on lifestyle choices, nutrition and self-help. On the lighter side of things, though, Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler’s comedy movie, Anger Management, is also available from our collection and provides an entertaining look at the subject.
So, if like me, certain things in this world make you just that little bit antsy, help is out there to steer you off that angry road so well worn by history’s bad boys and girls.
Rosemary Melville, Library Technician
No comments:
Post a Comment