Screwed Again

Screw:  To extort or practice extortion on: as, he screwed me out of money.


I've decided to add a short gratitude list to my quiet time in the morning.  I've just figured out that this might be beneficial to my emotional and spiritual well-being.  I guess 25 years of resisting this practice to no good effect is proof enough.  I've made my point.  I've shown you that my way is better.  


It does help, of course, the gratitude thing.  It helps to counteract my tendency to look on the dark side of things, to feel put upon, abused, and under-appreciated.  I was chuckling to myself this morning about how I can banish the darkness by shining the bright flashlight of optimism into the gloomy corners of my soul, and how I can take a good thought and make it ridiculous by overloading it with emotionally frothy metaphors.


For instance, I can ponder my taxes and grouse about how they are way too high.  I can make the situation worse by considering that there are people who make MORE money than me and that pay LESS taxes.  Surely, this isn't fair.  Now that I'm worked up about how many people are screwing me I can add the cherry to my misery sundae with the knowledge that fully 20% of the taxes that are owed by people and corporations simply aren't paid.  I'm paying for deadbeats.  My tax bill would be reduced by a fifth if everyone played by the rules.


Or . . . I can be grateful that I have the money to pay my taxes; that I've earned money that can be taxed; that I live in a wonderful place where my taxes help pay for all kinds of services and facilities that benefit me.  The bright side of things, in other words.


Naahh.