OH THE JOY

I’ve been reflecting lately on the numerous varieties of joy one experiences in life. We call them all joy as if joy were a universal thing, but admittedly what makes one person happy doesn’t mean it makes everyone happy.

As far as I’m concerned I see nothing wrong with each of us having our own interpretation of joy. However I have to be honest in some cases I think I really would prefer if the person kept such information to him or herself.

I mean if you think for example that say it gives you great joy to spend your free time dressing up in pink gorilla suit and pretend you are George Washington (don’t laugh I knew someone who thought that was cool) then have fun. But don’t bore me with it!

There are two things that really drive me nuts more than others. And even though some might feel different, I still have to share what to me is NOT joy.

The first is proud parents. Okay you manage to crank a kid or two or maybe even six! I’m happy for you. And you have a right to be proud. But I hope you can appreciate that I might not care to be bored with you carrying a photo album in your wallet or purse filled with a bunch of pictures that aren’t really different. I’m sorry, but if you show me one picture of your kid sitting on Santa’s lap I get the idea. I don’t need to see twenty fo them! You might think that is a good thing, but I find it boring. Do me a favor and at least toss in something different. I don’t care what, just something. PLEASE!

Now that I have probably managed to offend a whole lot of parents I’ll get onto my other personal dislike. For me it is vacation photos. Okay maybe if you took one or two of some really cute girls in bathing suits, fine. But do you honestly expect me to be happy with you making me look at that photo of you and your mother at the beach? And I definitely don’t want to see some grandmother who is being way to unrealistic to dress in that throng! It isn’t a picture that I like to remember.

Plus, I got to admit if you want me to enjoy the pictures start by being a decent photographer. I don’t care to look at some blur you claim is a famous location. If I can’t tell what it is by looking at the photo then don’t waste me time!

Well that is my slant on oh the joy. I wish I had a way to make sure I could get somebody to listen where I live. But that isn’t apparently realistic.

So I know the reality is any time some employee goes on vacation or is expecting a baby that eventually I’m going to be blessed with seeing pictures later. I have been working on trying to get part ownership in the local film development place. That way I could succeed in losing those pictures. Unfortunately thanks to digital cameras these days that doesn’t work.

Which leaves me the old standby of faking a headache or claiming to have eye problems when the time comes. I just wish a few of those who bore me with those pictures didn’t have a brain problem in terms of what they feel is joy!