Recently I pointed out to a friend that he appeared to play the role of “The Rock” very easily. I don’t mean as in the gigantic former wrestler-turned-actor. I mean it in terms of being the voice of reason when things swirl around him. It’s interesting to witness that in someone else. In fact, it’s notable.
And I appreciate it. Perhaps it’s my gender, perhaps it’s the role I play at work…perhaps there are many reasons it stands out to me. I tend to always be near the fringes of drama. I don’t do well with this. I repel it enough that when my daughters were old enough to start emoting, we began to discuss the rules of engagement around drama in our household. It’s just not tolerated. We talk things out, or we take time away to work things through before we then talk them out. Temper tantrums, bitchiness, and talking about each other or others in a negative way is not accepted. Surviving the teenage years with girls is going to be challenging enough…I am trying to create an environment to aid us in navigating this as sanely as I can.
I think I have taken note of others who share this desire to cut through the drama and get to the right answer because it appears to be rare. Or maybe it is not rare, and I’m just not surrounded by the right people. Do people enjoy drama because it gives them something to talk about? Do they think it makes them more interesting? Is it more comfortable to live in the drama cause you know what to expect rather than working through it and not knowing what exists once you get to the other side?
Life is filled with conflict, and conflict is dramatic. It’s part of the human condition. In some ways, perhaps it is what makes us interesting. Bravo has made an entire must-watch channel based on people’s desire to watch other people’s “reality” drama; much of it amped-up I am certain. I believe it’s the way we handle that conflict, however, that ultimately makes us people worth knowing. We spend so much time looking in the past, dwelling on things that are over, or beyond our control. Why bother? I prefer to channel my energy on trying to move things forward. I try to be a person I would want to admire. Not a person I’d make fun of if I were watching her on tv.
It’s hard to do this, no doubt. Often, it’s hard not to get sucked into the drama when it is swirling around you. And yet, if you choose to be the “rock,” or be the centering force in the midst of that chaos, it is amazing how it can diffuse almost immediately. That is, however, a choice we each make. Do you choose to keep things moving forward, or keep the drama swirling in your life?
I’m grateful I have a few people in my life who share this same “no drama” philosophy. It makes conversations simpler. There is no guessing. There is no bullshit. There is, thankfully, no drama.
I’ll keep supporting my daughter’s creative efforts on the stage though…this is one place I love to see drama really play out.
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