I recently saw a flyer for a program calling for the elimination of complaining.
No, I'm not making this up.
In fact, it gets better.
The organizers of this program want people to wear a bracelet on their hand, and every time you complain, they want you to switch the bracelet from one wrist to another.
They say if you do this for twenty-one days, you'll have broken the habit of complaining.
This project obviously made me draw parallels to my nice project.
The difference is, I never vowed that I would stop complaining.
If anything, I think sometimes people--especially people in New England--can bond over complaining.
Yes, you shouldn't whine. Yes, you should keep things in perspective.
Yes, wearing a bracelet can be fun and make you look like you belong in a Bangles cover band.
But there's nothing wrong with telling a friend you had a hard day. It invites others to share what they're going through with you.
Sometimes I have friends who call and ask if they can vent, and I tell them that part of me being their friend is them not even having to ask that.
They're not complaining, they're communicating what's bothering them.
I know we can probably all cut down on complaining, but it does serve a function.
So for now, I'll pass on the bracelet.
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