We come to the third life lesson. The first two were stupidity and fear. Go back to October Twenty-Fifth and November 7, 2025, to check out those columns. The first two can trigger anger. We are told “Refrain from anger” in Psalm 37:8
We may tell people that we are not angry when we are frustrated or upset about something. Define the word “a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.” Are you mad and just do not want to admit it? Let’s be honest with ourselves and each other. That’s what we discussed in the first two columns. Being real about our own stupidity and fear.
We must do the same with our anger. I have been working for years to control mine. I am not always successful. My anger is usually with myself for something that I have done or failed to do. That and stupid people. But, as I said in the first article in this series, we are all stupid at times, especially me.
Proverbs 14:16 says that “A wise man is cautious and turns from evil, but a fool is easily angered and is careless.” None of us can always prevent getting angry. Working on not letting our tempers get the better of us can be difficult. Nahum 1:3 tells us that the Lord is slow to anger.
This is proven by the patience He has shown the Israelites, David, us, and His other followers. Remember how he told Peter to get behind Him and referred to him as Satan. (Mark 8:33, Matthew 16:23) This was prompted by an unwillingness to accept that Jesus must give His life for us.
Paul tells us not to let the sun go down on our anger. (Ephesians 4:26) This is just before his exposition on how we should treat our wives, husbands, and children. He tells us in the sixth chapter of this book not to make our children mad at us. (Ephesians 6:4)
James tells us in his letter that our anger does not accomplish his purposes. The scriptures are full of examples of anger against others, causing us more problems. Stop and think about times you did not hold onto yours. How’d that work for you?
To me, stupidity, fear, and anger are all interrelated. When we do something stupid, it is because of fear or anger. We are all foolish, afraid, and get mad from time to time. These are words that mean many different things to many of us. I wanted to remind all of you, and myself, of what these emotions can do to you. God loves us despite any problems we may have.
This is a commonly used phrase. It was brought to my mind by a character in “The Waltons” TV series. We all have those days when we say or do things that we wish we could recall. This episode had several characters that were not their normal sensible selves.
One of these was John Walton, Senior. You know him. John Boy’s dad. He had trouble with his sawmill and decided to retire. He went fishing, playing pool, and drinking more than he usually would. His children were wondering about him. This happens to us all.
John took the correct steps to repair his damaged relationships. He apologized. He also informed his children that they should allow him the space to be himself while he was an adult, even if that meant actions that they did not expect from him.
I’ve had my times of going off the rails. Most of my business associates think of me as an even-tempered quiet type. My good friends and family have experienced the real Chuck. Not so quiet or dignified. Likely to blow off steam when needed. Life isn’t always easy and sometimes it drives us to blow a gasket.
I know this because I once sold seals, gasket material, and other products to repair these conflagrations. Yes, that is another way of saying explosion. Most pressurized equipment includes a valve designed to release excess pressure. What is yours?
When we first moved into a house with a wood stove, I began splitting my own wood. That was more than thirty years ago. I purchased a splitting mall and became adept at using it. Slamming that device into a log enables me to release anger and frustration. You need a release as well.
It is better to break wood before you crush someone’s face. Don’t go to a bar to relax. It might make matters worse. Walking away when you start to become angry, or upset is the best way. Distance from the problem gives you time to calm down.
If the news or weather upsets you, turn them off. Yelling at the TV or radio does no good. I know. I’ve done it. Those stupid people on the screen do not listen.
Try to cool the heat of the moment in the easiest way that you can. We all have those moments from time to time. The fewer foot-in-the-mouth moments I have the better life is. I hope it works for you.
We keep hearing about deadly shootings in the Springfield, Missouri area where we live. The news reports currently being released say that one man is dead and another man is in custody. This was in a residential area and the police say that they knew each other.
Another report talked about the increase in traffic fatalities nationwide. They mentioned a few of the tragic collisions that made the national news last year. Is there any way to avoid these situations?
I don’t have to give those who have read my memoir “Doulos” the story that explains my concern for accidental shootings. I have not shared another story about a shooting that my wife and I were witnesses to. A few months ago, we were grocery shopping. We left our car parked in a handicapped space close to the doors.
As we pulled into the row of cars, I noticed a young lady standing near a car across from us. We were in the market for at least a half hour. When we returned to our vehicle, she was still there. As we prepared to pull out this conversation escalated.
We did not understand most of what she said. None of the other person’s words could be heard by us. She was backing away from the car with the driver’s door open. The man bolted towards her. My wife immediately called 911 on her phone.
Before she could complete the call, the woman pulled a small gun from her purse and fired one shot into her attacker’s chest. He fell to the ground. She began screaming that she had shot him. A nurse that had been behind her when she fired, bent down to check on the injured man while she ran and laid the gun on the hood of the car, opened a back door, and removed a baby.
This all happened in a minute or two. What should we have done? We both considered leaving the scene. We did not need to because she was more concerned with her child than she was with bystanders. Let’s discuss what to do if you are present when shots are fired.
In our situation, had she waved the gun around as other supposed witnesses reported, we would have vacated the area immediately. We had no need to do that because she put the weapon down and we were not in danger. In the case of another shooting, a witness heard five shots while she was in bed. We were not told what she did. What should you do?
Take cover. Do not look outside. You may become a target. Stray shots may enter your home. Put as much distance between you and the exterior as you can. Walls, furniture, and space are some of the things to separate you from danger. If the shots sound like they are inside, hide and be quiet or leave the house. Vacating should not be done until you determine you can do that safely. Each situation is different.
Let’s discuss a situation like the tragedy in Kansas City after the Super Bowl. If you are outside and hear shots, you probably want to hide and wait to run until you are aware of where the shooter or shooters are. Getting down might be safer unless you can see where the shots are coming from. I won’t tell you to remain calm. You already know whether you can do that.
Now about those traffic accidents. Do not allow yourself to become angry. Road rage will escalate the situation. You know how to stay calm. Stay observant while you are driving. If you aren’t driving, be observant. Do not yell at the driver if you think you see something that could possibly be dangerous, use as quiet a voice as you can and be specific about what you see.
Do not scream “Look Out.” “Do you see that kid running this way?” would be a better way to handle it. I once saw deer running toward the highway I was driving on. I had a matter of seconds to decide what to do. I put the pedal to the metal. One of the animals jumped over the trunk of my car. And the others crossed safely.
I have always driven defensively. My dad was a trucker and he taught us by driving safely as we were traveling. Mom did the same. The best way is to be shown proper conduct. Do not get in a vehicle with an unsafe driver. Our daughters had friends they wanted to go with and we questioned their skills. Our answers were no to those requests.
Do you stop and let other traffic from side streets go when it is rush hour? I was in an accident when someone did that. I was in the inside lane where traffic was still moving. I was hit by a driver who could not see me coming. He did not approach my lane with caution. I tried to avoid him but was not successful. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Stop and think about where you are and what you are doing whether you are driving, walking, or sitting quietly at home. Accidents happen regardless of how careful we are. Others can create dangerous situations that we may be able to avoid. I no longer like to be in crowds. I’m not afraid of being shot. I’m tired of rude people. Try not to be rude. I’ll do the same.
Ford Motor Company is a brand. G.E., Hunts, Nike, Swanson, and some ninety million others already exist. I do not need to try to make myself a brand. I am an author and a servant. I created a logo for this page. I want to write. I want you to be able to read what I produce. I don’t care if I make money or become a household word.
I am motivated by expressing my thoughts. My high school journalism teacher taught me to write an article and let it sit for a while. She did not want me expressing anger or hatred in my columns. I must let those emotions flow. No one wants to hear them. No one cares.
People are dying of drug overdoses. Who cares. Some kill because their anger takes away the reason that God gave them. I get angry, too. I want to kill the predators that attack others. I am tired of judges letting criminals out of prison because the jails are overflowing. Empty the jails by executing the murderers and rapists. They don’t deserve to continue breathing.
We let a presidential candidate call other people names. He’s angry because he lost the last election. He has lost his mind. Someone tried to kill him. He wants revenge. He wants to show the world how wonderful he is. He is just a scared angry man. Like me.
Some of you want to put him back into the most powerful office in this country. What are you thinking? Tomorrow I will delete these rantings because right now I am angry. No one cares. You are all asleep in your beds. The world is crashing around us, and you don’t care.
I can’t sleep because I am scared and tired. Life gets the better of me. I know you feel the same way at times. We need to work with each other for our own sanity. Talk me down off this ledge. Give me a reason to try again. I want you to have a purpose in life. I want you to know why God put you where you are.
I am trying to decide every day why I have lived all these years. No one seems to acknowledge that I exist. Articles tell me I need to promote my brand. I am not a brand.
I am a thinking, feeling, and caring individual. I don’t need millions of dollars to make me better than you. I don’t want to be president so you will listen to my crazy ramblings. We vote people into offices because they are as demented as the rest of us at times. They don’t know any more than we do about how to control our own minds.
What am I doing about it? I will wake up in the morning. Begin my day. Publish this column and let you see that I am as conflicted and crazy as you are. I hope that you see yourself in this and realize that you are not a brand, and you don’t want to be. We all need someone to talk us off the ledge. We need to help each other make it one more day.
Charles (Chuck) Kensinger 