When A Problem Comes Along, You Must Whip It

June 1997

"Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content." - Louis L'Amour
"When angered, a startling metamorphosis occurs." - "The Incredible Hulk" TV show

Not long ago I learned a French proverb that translates into English as "Happy people do not make history," which I guess would be expected from a country that celebrates the beheading of some of its infamous historical leaders. Guillotines aside, I realized just how much human achievement is due to peeved person(s) who just got annoyed beyond their limit at the way things were. The Pilgrims, the Founding Fathers, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks are all examples of people I call SATIs: Sick And Tired Individuals.

Each of us can be an SATI to some degree. We all experience events in our lives that push us over the edge and out of our procrastination. Maybe you've struggled with that sticking kitchen drawer too many times, the neighbor's dog has autographed the lawn again, or you've tripped over those boxes on the garage floor for the forty-seventh time. Perhaps it's the in-laws. Your job has gnawed away that last surviving nerve. Your daughter came home with her twelfth piercing. Or maybe your overnight house guest is still sprawled out on the couch for the sixth day in a row.

Whatever the reason, when that feeling washes over us, we feel like Peter Finch shouting out the window in the movie "Network." At that moment, we want to feel like Popeye when eats the spinach, hears his theme music, and winds up for a little keister-kicking on Bluto.

Compared to SATIs through history, however, motivating myself to clean out my closet pales in comparison to those who fought tyranny and injustice. We could use some new modern movers and shakers. The last two decades of Presidents alone have "forgotten" they sold weapons to Iran, claimed to be pro-education and pro-environment while cutting budgets for both, and have leased out the White House as a bed-and-breakfast to campaign contributors. We shouldn't just passively watch it all go by, change the channel, and ask "What's on 'Melrose' tonight?"

Maybe modern activism has gotten a bad rap, since our most active citizens have been unbathed neo-Luddites holed up in armed compounds. But we all need to deal with things in the world that set off the common-sense klaxon alarms. Doing something is better than nothing at all. (Not that I'm advocating anything involving firearms or home-made explosives; it's best to not have your neighbors describe you as "a quiet person who never bothered anyone. Who'd have thought he'd go full-tilt bozo wing-nut without warning?")

So the next time the TV blathers on about the latest Newt-isms, corporate downsizing, or whatever pushes us off the precipice of reason, try this tip. Think of them as the dripping faucet that keeps you up at night, the slick salesman that sold you the assembled-by-monkeys appliance, or the neighbor's Harley revving at 5AM, and you'll want to put a stop to it. If enough of us did that, we could be Sick and Tired enough to make history.

LEGAL STUFF: All content copyright © 1996-2006 Daniel O'Leary. All rights reserved. No unauthorized duplication, publication, or distribution.

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He has previously written online editorials to NJ-shout.com (RIP), Great Society.org, and Songsource.com, among others. He has also been featured in ShoreGuide and AbsoluteWrite.com.

Dan is a current member of the NetWits humorist's collective.

Since his early twenties, Dan's writings have also been prominently featured on the refrigerator in his parents' home. "Sure, they make no sense," Mrs. O'Leary comments, "but we're proud of him -- no matter what everyone else says."