Thursday, February 16, 2012

Toxic Waste


photo courtesy of www.morguefile.com

I live in a house with two small children and neither of them whine as much as some of the adults in my life.
This landfill does not accept toxic emotional waste. We spend a great deal of time worrying about our carbon footprint, our environmental impact. We would never even consider just dropping our trash on the ground, much less flinging it at someone else. Is it possible that we could pay even half as much attention to the toxic emotional waste we hurl about? That stuff has a serious environmental impact, too.

18 comments:

  1. Wow! Tangled Lou? This is brilliantly angry and spot on. Amen, sister. In the least religious and yet spiritual amen possible.

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    1. Oh dear. I don't get angry often. Sometimes it surprises people.

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  2. Gee, your post left me wondering if I have some cleaning up of my own to do. But the more I though about it the more I realized that much of my toxic waste has been dumped on me by me. Gotta work on that.
    It also left me wondering who ever are you talking about and whatever did they do to stir up such an emotional response?

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    1. I think we all leave a little bit of our own toxic waste around from time to time. Sometimes circumstances necessitate a great big venting. Sometimes things are truly unbearable and must be talked through. My objection is more to the "way of life" kind of toxic waste - a viewpoint that is unfailingly negative, always finds something or someone to complain about, etc.

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  3. Oh oh, I am wondering too.... what qualifies as toxic emotional waste? I am thinking that it means unfiltered outbursts? More info, please?
    But then suddenly I get it - or at least I get my version of it - there were several parents at work this week who spewed toxic waste into the office - and left me ill in their wake. They left me feeling like I wanted to leave my job b/c I couldn't stand their entitled attitude and /or their willingness to do the hard work of parenting. I get it. I think.

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  4. Oy. I had some toxic emotional garbage dumped on me this week. Stings a little. Although, it did serve as a reminder for me to be aware of others when I am in a personal funk, that doesn't mean I'm okay with the person who was flinging.

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    1. Yes, I usually try to consider it a reminder not to do the same to others, too. And I try to view it as my fulfilling some sort of need - I'm a pretty good listener. Sometimes I've just had enough, though. It's like Chinese water torture when suddenly that last little drip is one drop too many.

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  5. Yes. Just yes. Have had a brutal week for family dumping their toxic waste,

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    1. Is it the season? I'm sorry you've had to deal with that, too. Families are notorious for such things. I try to remind myself it's because they feel safe and loved. Sometimes that helps. Sometimes I just feel taken advantage of. C'est la vie.

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  6. I wanna get that sign printed on a T-shirt. Hope the clean-up from the recent dumping 'round your place doesn't require full-on Hazmat training...

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    1. Sadly, that Hazmat suit is well-worn at this point. I know the drill, I just grow weary of it from time to time.

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  7. I want this on a t-shirt too!!!!! And as a message on my cell phone.

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    1. Perhaps I will print some up and sell them to feed a starving writer.

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  8. I am condemned to a gerbil wheel. my wife has read the few words i wrote and now insists that i complete the story. it is being completed and is being posted as i write. i have 6000 words now and there is no end in sight. arggggh.

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    1. I can't wait to read about the wild mountain gerbils. Didn't they start as hamsters, though? :-)

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