You mad, bro? Do you allow other people and things to throw off your groove? Learn to control anger, and you’ll reap the many benefits of a level head.
Why is it possible for some men to control their anger, while others rage at the slightest annoyance? Is anger something we can harness and use for personal growth, or is it completely useless?
The Road Rager
When I think of a man who struggled to control anger, I think of my father.
In my early twenties, I worked for him as a furnace repairman. We’d drive from house to house, repairing broken heaters, always under stress to reach these jobs on time.
Traffic was usually busy, and my dad was a road rager. I recall one of many occasions when we were on the freeway, and a car merged in front of us. It was a little too slow for my chain-smoking speeder dad, so he went full red zone, flew up beside this car, rolled down his window and screamed, “Where the f%#k did you learn to drive a$$hole!?”
This time, it was an eighty-year-old woman. He calmed down as if nothing had happened and went back to driving.
In the three years I worked for him, I witnessed many similar situations where he lost control. Sometimes he’d get out of the van to storm off toward someone, and I’d think he’d be better suited as a swordsman in a Roman legion.
He wasn’t always violent. He’d just become annoyed at anything he perceived as idiocy. The toast wasn’t perfect? He’d call the manager over and point it out while I sat there, red-faced. He just really couldn’t control anger, and I couldn’t relate at all. Maybe that’s why I rarely get very angry, and see it as silly.
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