what do you do with the mad that you feel?

i've been a bit disheartened lately. i'm disgusted by the nra's continued stranglehold on congress, which caused them to reject universal background checks on gun buyers. i'm disgusted by my state legislature voting for school vouchers that will rob precious resources from our public schools. i could list a few other aggravations but these two things are the major source of my disgruntlement right now.

ok, that word is not strong enough. anger is what i really mean. i've been a lot angry.

anyway, it was good for me to visit with my son and his family this weekend. my grandson was just delightful to hang with. the best story of the weekend, was his encounter with a paper towel dispenser in a public bathroom. i'd tell you the story, but i'm guessing it would lose something in the translation. just know it provided us all with quite a laugh.

a laugh i much needed because i'd been so angry. anyway, i was thinking about that while driving on my way home. i was also listening to npr which has it's fund raising pitch on. and they were telling about fred rogers (of the neighborhood) going to testify in washington a long time ago. and the story told of him citing to congress a song that he'd written about anger. dealing with anger. he cited it as he was telling of his great concern about the messages that our children were hearing on tv and radio. and how he felt his show on pbs could (and was) making a difference in helping children be able to have control over themselves. because you know? everything starts with children, really.

anyway, it's a great little song. it made me feel better. i highly recommend it. because quite frankly, i do sometimes wonder what to do with all the mad.

here are the lyrics.

What do you do with the mad that you feel
When you feel so mad you could bite?
When the whole wide world seems oh, so wrong...
And nothing you do seems very right?

What do you do? Do you punch a bag?
Do you pound some clay or some dough?
Do you round up friends for a game of tag?
Or see how fast you go?

It's great to be able to stop
When you've planned a thing that's wrong,
And be able to do something else instead
And think this song:

I can stop when I want to
Can stop when I wish.
I can stop, stop, stop any time.
And what a good feeling to feel like this
And know that the feeling is really mine.
Know that there's something deep inside
That helps us become what we can.
For a girl can be someday a lady
And a boy can be someday a man.