Tuesday, March 31, 2009

An alignment of words

Have you ever had the experience of noticing that you could go forever without hearing a particular word or phrase, and then suddenly, in a span of a day or few days you can't go anywhere or read anything or listen to the radio without hearing that word or phrase all the time?

Schadenfreude. This word has been popping up everywhere lately. Like here and here. Rude Cactus used it a few days ago in his post regarding a new Three Stooges movie being made. With Jim Carey, Benicio Del Torres and SEAN PENN in it. That is an unholy trinity and a bad idea for a movie.

The definition of schadenfreude is "to experience pleasure from another persons' suffering." Like some people wouldn't mind a little schadenfreude with regard to certain AIG executives.

Don't we all love the stories of other people suffering? A little "There but for the grace of God go I" reminder. I think some people like to hear those stories, and others like to be the top dog in telling those stories. You know the person, the one who always has it worse than everyone else. The worst spouse/in law/kids/boss/plumber/childbirth story ever. When I was pregnant I heard the child birth stories all the time. Or the stories about how sleep deprived as a new mom the person was. I try very hard with first time pregnant mom's I know not to go that route. I do have one friend who wanted the down and dirty on how having a C-section would go, so I told her. But only because I was asked. I think everyone should know that your spouse will see your internal organs if he isn't careful to look away.

I have another friend who I was just as honest with regarding how hard being a mom was going to be, because she is one of those people who lives with a serious disassociation disorder - all bad things happen to other people, never to her, until they do. "Why didn't you tell me how hard this would be" she asked me one day. "I did tell you. I told you constantly. You just have this disorder that makes you believe that you will have it better than everyone else." Inevitably she has just as hard a time as everyone else, but to her it is harder for her than everyone else. She likes to live in the extremes. But because she is in denial about reality so much, I wanted to try to give her a reality check every so often. Not that it mattered.

Anyway, I find that the alignment of words or phrases in my life is interesting. I like when it happens. It makes me stop and wonder how connected the world is sometimes.

4 comments:

witchypoo said...

For more Schadenfreude, try www.poopreport.com

Audubon Ron said...

Neever heard of-it.

Unknown said...

Used on Two and a Half Men just the other day.

Eric said...

I thought it was some kind of chicken fried steak.