It seems that everyone has a complaint these days. I guess that's my complaint. People find everything to complain about: the weather; their kids, their jobs; the roads; politics--just to name a few. I quit reading people's status updates on Facebook because so many people feel the need to update their position in life with a gripe. It would appear that some people never catch a break, never feel good or generally just feel slighted--EVERYDAY AND ALL DAY LONG. You better believe that if there is an itch, someone is scratching it. You'll say your "just venting" but let's peel back the "p.c." moniker--you're complaining.

I overheard a group of college kids, fresh off a three-week break, lamenting about the next semester filled with Accounting classes, beer bongs and their hectic travel plans to Cancun. You can imagine their level of stress. Youth is indeed wasted on the young. (My next blog will be a reprint of a set of rules for the 18-24 year old crowd.) I read a large number of complaints from people not wanting to return to work from the Holiday break. I got it. You hate your boss and your coworkers are no picnic either. I can only say to take deep breaths and think of the 900,000 unemployed people who would switch places with you in a heartbeat. So breathe. You boss is still an idiot but the moment of Thanksgiving will get you through another day.

I'm not saying let's get rid of complaining but it is so real time now. We get it, you're in a crappy mood--right this very second. How do we know: you texted us; Tweeted us; Skyped us; posted in your Facebook status; blogged about it, and called us from your remote location on a 3G network. I can harken back to a time when to do this on a pay phone took time or even longer on a rotary phone. The pager at least required us to return a phone call and hoping by then you may have cooled off a bit. Maybe we get three complaint coupons a week and after each complaint the coupon is no longer valid. Use them or lose them. Think about how valuable a commodity they would become to someone in a real funk? How about going old school? Let's actually write them on paper, or official complaining stationary, and mail them to a complaint office where you receive a return receipt when your guff was officially received. This could take days or even weeks depending on your service area. The complaint has lost its effectiveness but the complaint is received all the same. You still get to air a hot one out just with a spin on the delivery.

I like to think of the words of George Bernard Shaw when he noted:

"This is the true joy in life, being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one. Being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as I live it is my privilege - my *privilege* to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I love. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle to me; it is a sort of splendid torch which I've got a hold of for the moment and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."

Try some Emerson perhaps:

"Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day; begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense."

So there you have it; you're not complaining. You are a splendid torch encumbered with a little nonsense. As for me, I'm not complaining--I'm just venting.