Setting the mood

How does a person’s mind determine whether or not its governing body is going to wake up in a funk – an utter state of annoyance – instantly cranky at nearly everything it comes in contact with? What is it that causes a person to wake up, roll over in bed, and exclaim that they “already hate today.”

I don’t know why it happens. But I know it’s happening to me today.

Waking up in a bad mood is a funny thing. It happens to me often – years of working late and getting up without an alarm spoiled me, and the sound of KELO news (the only station that reliably comes in on our radio/mini-television/alarm clock) is enough to cause a normally peaceful person’s blood to boil. I know I should be used to it.

I’m not.

So, add that to a messy house that I’ll have to spend an hour picking up when I get home, a windy morning that forced a few drips of coffee (it’s the idea, not the amount) onto my shirt, a breakfast that was rushed, no mustard in the house, a slightly sore throat, the prospect of being late to work (I wasn’t, but Kerrie might have been,) a Phoenix Suns playoff loss (and Miami Heat win,) a dog that wouldn’t come in when asked, the banal newscast – yes, it’s cloudy, and yes, the Harrisburg School District is newsworthy, but every single day it’s been a repeat, like a high school play version of Groundhog Day – a clogged coffee machine and, to top it all off, no iPod to ride my bike home to.

None of it is important. In fact, none of it would even cause me a second of adverse thought. Except I woke up in a bad mood today. So all of it piled up until I sat down at my desk, looked around, and read an e-mail from some moron who can’t answer questions properly.

And with that, I felt a lot better. Because I knew that, regardless of how good my morning was, I at least could answer questions properly and wouldn’t be considered a moron. Oh, and “Rings Around The World” by the Super Furry Animals helped too.

So, just like that, my mood dissipated and I was fine, though tired and ready for lunch. Of course, lunch is in another three hours.

By the time I post this, I’ll be eating a sandwich and drinking a Coke Heavy (no Diet Coke at work, and to hell with Diet Coke after my morning anyway.)

Why do bad moods start? Who cares – all that matters is how you get rid of them. The real question is how can some horrible moods persist throughout the day – oblivious to the best intentions and humor of co-workers, friends and family, while other horrible moods – quite possibly moods that are even worse and more horrible than most – can be wiped away by another person’s stupidity? On one hand, this e-mail should have pushed me over the edge, forcing my hand into going postal. Instead, it made me feel better.

I don’t get the human mind. I never will. All I know is that my bad mood is gone, and I’m actually enjoying the sour coffee they serve here at work.

The sun just came out, and I’ve finally got some work to do.

This was lovingly handwritten on May 11th, 2006