Currently Listening The World Needs a Hero By Megadeth 1000 times goodbye see related

Just returned from the gym in what has become a nightly effort to get back to my pre-smoking ban weight.  That's the funny thing about extra pounds:  They seem to be incredibly easy to gain, but near impossible to lose.  Last week's battle resulted in a three pound loss, with twenty seven more to go.   As with all my gym trips, my iPod provides the companionship and motivation I need to push myself to the very limit in the name of personal fitness.  For those that have just joined me in my ramblings, I believe that music is the key ingredient in life that can make any situation bearable, or just give voice to feelings we mere mortals cannot accurately describe. 

So where am I going with this, you ask?

As I was pounding along on the treadmill, a song came on that my 'pod's shuffle feature had long forgotten.  It was a song that I thought I had deleted a long time ago, having no use for a song that could bring back so many angry memories.  However, as the rage-driven guitars thundered in my ears, those angry memories gave me what I needed to not only finish my three mile routine, but go one more mile until the rage-fueled adrenaline wore off, and my legs cried enough.

Until today, I always thought that rage was a useless feature in human beings, much like racing stripes on a minivan.

I know what you are thinking, that I'm crazy to still be carrying all this anger around even after all this time.  Truth be told, you are absolutely right.  However, my anger isn't borne of regret, for my life right now is exactly where I want it to be.  My anger is left over from the powerlessness I felt watching it all unravel back then, and the fact that even though I did everything right, I was still treated like the bad guy.

However, that is my anger to carry, and mine alone.  It's the last remnant of a past life that fades more each time I hear Summer's voice on the phone, and grows dimmer each moment I get to spend with family, both present and future. 

So after a round-about approach, I come to my earth shattering point:

Anger, if harnessed and used, can be productive.  However, there are those that let it consume them, and do stupid things, like seeking revenge.

Which brings me to my next rambling.

More than one eastern culture has a saying that goes something like "Those seeking revenge must first dig two graves."

That saying is very true, to an extent.  However, it doesn't make the person who has been wronged feel any better.   Yes, I will admit that I have had many an interesting daydream centered around revenge, but in the end, they are just that: daydreams. 

You see, the best revenge doesn't come from bloodshed or violence.

It doesn't even come from getting even in any way, shape or form.

So what is the best revenge? 

Success.

With that, I'm putting away my soapbox and going to bed.  Goodnight, Xangaland!