And it sucks for me. Because as a french person, I like to rant. Ranting is in my DNA. We french people like to complain. It gets out the ugly and puts it out in the open where everyone can see. In a way it's nice, it's like sharing.
It's not that things are worse in France, it's just that we like to think that they are. And in general, we really like to point out the annoying side of anything. For years I thought that was only my mom, but I think a lot of it is frenchness. We have entire radio and tv shows dedicated to ranting. We call it debate, and sometimes it's actually that, but mainly, it's just people who are a little wittier than others, or who just happen to know the producer, airing their annoyances at random things. And we love to watch! (I do).
Maybe we're just all pessimistic and depressive... I read a statistic long a go that said that France has the highest rate of anti-depressant use in the world. Made sense to me. But hey, we get along fine as a country. I mean, we haven't disappeared yet, even if we always think we're about to, and we've managed to accomplish some decent things along the way. Although right now, with the president we have...
Here in America (and even more so here in always fucking sunny California hippie land), ranting and complaining is very badly seen. In fact, showing any signs of upsetedness at anything is impolite. You have to smile and be sunny and nice all the time. It's just better for everybody. No one wants to hear about your bad day, or bad stomach flu. It's negative, and negative thoughts are icky.
Well I say fuck that. It's humanly impossible to find everything great and wonderful all the time, to always have had a good day and want to smile. And if you're acting like it, then you're lying, and you're putting way too much pressure on yourself. Pressure that could simmer and simmer and simmer until it boils over and you go on a killing rampage, cause you can't take it anymore. And besides, letting it out can be funny for the people who listen, even if it makes you look like a ridiculous, aggressive, crumpled old cornichon for a just moment. So you might be putting some sunshine into other people's days, after all.
And it makes you feel much, much better after. Aaaah, I already do.
