Lawyers and Mormons and Bears, Oh My!
Jul. 31st, 2004 11:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jamesqSo I've got to really watch my mood. A lot of shit's been happening lately and it's all been simmering under the surface, which is a recipe for another round of depression and/or pissing off the people closest to me.
I think what's really pissing me off recently is the number of encounters I've had with sanctimonious assholes. My sister-in-law is an example. Her continued misplaced sense of entitlement infuriates me. What's worse is the knowledge that I can't do anything about it. I've really got to just let it go - and I am trying to do that. Problem is, I'm no good at it. It's like starting a new exercise regime, you feel weak and useless until the muscles build up to take the new stress.
I went to archery with Jason yesterday, and as we were driving around I felt very anxious (in the bad sense of "impending anxiety attack"). It took me awhile to put my finger on what I was so worked up about. This morning, as I woke up, it hit me. I got a letter from Pointe of Screw's lawyers yesterday when Jason and I were collecting some junk from Casa Cyr. As expected, their lawyers (who've discovered they can't wait me out) denied all wrongdoing on POV's part and as much as said that I should suck their cocks for the privilege of buying a POV condo and only having it be three months late.
So why did that make me anxious - the legalese was so well-written that I half believed it myself. I think I've got quite a fight on my hand, and I'm enough of a realist to know that the simple fact that I'm right might not be enough to have the judgment be in my favour. Hell, their sales force made an almost reflexive habit of lying to me - won't their employees lie to a judge too? It seems likely, and that makes it a case of their word against mine.
So I was anxious. Jason thank heaven is a good enough friend that if I get snippy he'll respond correctly (i.e. he won't ostracize me for ten years). Not that I got snippy with him last night, but it is a something I have to keep an eye on. Just because he can take it, doesn't mean I should dish it out.
This all came to a head this morning when I was accosted by a couple Mormon's while I was waiting for a bus.
Now I warned them when they started that god didn't exist and trying to convince me otherwise without scientific evidence was going to be a waste of time and that their time would be spent better elsewhere.
But they (or rather he, because one of them didn't say a word, just hung back and observed) wouldn't listen. Their so-called evidence consisted of a suggesting that if I only prayed hard enough I would discover Jesus and see that god had a plan for me. I countered that many people were deluded and that prayer was an action, not proof. They tried to push a copy of the book of Mormon on me and I responded that written fiction does not constitute proof either.
By this time I was pretty hot under the collar (as, I suspect, was the fellow doing all the talking). After a few more failed attempts they left, calling out "you may not believe in god, but he believes in you". I responded with "try to imagine how patronizing that statement sounds". Given the knee jerk reaction I have to that phrase I'm surprised I didn't respond with harsh language.
But here's the point. If I was not in such a bad head space right now, I'd have handled it better. Hell, I would love to spend a half-hour baiting a couple of Mormon boys. I'm a pretty smart guy and I know all the arguments for/against the existence of god. If I wanted, I could lead them down some pretty scary theological hallways. Guys like me are why they send missionaries out in pairs (if one is in danger of losing the faith, the other one pulls them both out).
Instead I let them get my back up. Ugh. I clearly have a short fuse right now. I'll have to be careful about that.
I think what's really pissing me off recently is the number of encounters I've had with sanctimonious assholes. My sister-in-law is an example. Her continued misplaced sense of entitlement infuriates me. What's worse is the knowledge that I can't do anything about it. I've really got to just let it go - and I am trying to do that. Problem is, I'm no good at it. It's like starting a new exercise regime, you feel weak and useless until the muscles build up to take the new stress.
I went to archery with Jason yesterday, and as we were driving around I felt very anxious (in the bad sense of "impending anxiety attack"). It took me awhile to put my finger on what I was so worked up about. This morning, as I woke up, it hit me. I got a letter from Pointe of Screw's lawyers yesterday when Jason and I were collecting some junk from Casa Cyr. As expected, their lawyers (who've discovered they can't wait me out) denied all wrongdoing on POV's part and as much as said that I should suck their cocks for the privilege of buying a POV condo and only having it be three months late.
So why did that make me anxious - the legalese was so well-written that I half believed it myself. I think I've got quite a fight on my hand, and I'm enough of a realist to know that the simple fact that I'm right might not be enough to have the judgment be in my favour. Hell, their sales force made an almost reflexive habit of lying to me - won't their employees lie to a judge too? It seems likely, and that makes it a case of their word against mine.
So I was anxious. Jason thank heaven is a good enough friend that if I get snippy he'll respond correctly (i.e. he won't ostracize me for ten years). Not that I got snippy with him last night, but it is a something I have to keep an eye on. Just because he can take it, doesn't mean I should dish it out.
This all came to a head this morning when I was accosted by a couple Mormon's while I was waiting for a bus.
Now I warned them when they started that god didn't exist and trying to convince me otherwise without scientific evidence was going to be a waste of time and that their time would be spent better elsewhere.
But they (or rather he, because one of them didn't say a word, just hung back and observed) wouldn't listen. Their so-called evidence consisted of a suggesting that if I only prayed hard enough I would discover Jesus and see that god had a plan for me. I countered that many people were deluded and that prayer was an action, not proof. They tried to push a copy of the book of Mormon on me and I responded that written fiction does not constitute proof either.
By this time I was pretty hot under the collar (as, I suspect, was the fellow doing all the talking). After a few more failed attempts they left, calling out "you may not believe in god, but he believes in you". I responded with "try to imagine how patronizing that statement sounds". Given the knee jerk reaction I have to that phrase I'm surprised I didn't respond with harsh language.
But here's the point. If I was not in such a bad head space right now, I'd have handled it better. Hell, I would love to spend a half-hour baiting a couple of Mormon boys. I'm a pretty smart guy and I know all the arguments for/against the existence of god. If I wanted, I could lead them down some pretty scary theological hallways. Guys like me are why they send missionaries out in pairs (if one is in danger of losing the faith, the other one pulls them both out).
Instead I let them get my back up. Ugh. I clearly have a short fuse right now. I'll have to be careful about that.
