Dirty Work

Just had another conversation with my wife about business issues, relationships, disappointments, etc.
I started getting very agitated and heard myself saying the same things over and over again. I heard myself becoming the person that I was often if not every day. Venting my frustrations once again about myopic professionals that won't accept guidance, counsel, or experience if it's not theirs. Professionals that fall short in service delivery. Those conversations and frustrations seem to feed the demon inside. It doesn't take long to see that it becomes a vicious cycle. I started thinking that maybe this would be the perfect time to use that serenity prayer. Without looking it up I think it goes something like...

Lord give me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change.
Give me the Courage to change the things that I can.
And please Grant me the wisdom to know the difference.

I was sitting here saying that over and over and over again and then I thought of the movie that we watched yesterday. It was the new Dracula movie. And without giving away anything or spoiling it it did seem to put forth a dilemma. At one point earlier in his life after being kidnapped, traumatized and trained, Vlad became a monster. He did the things that terrified normal people. After a while he was able to return to a somewhat normal life burying that dark part of himself deep inside. Later in the movie a new threat arises and he not only has to unleash that darkness, but has to seek even more albeit for what he thinks is a good cause, to save his people. He had to, for all intents and purposes, once more become a monster. A greater monster. That was the sacrifice he was willing to make so that those around him could enjoy peace and prosperity. He approaches a classic rock and a hard place situation. If they knew what he was planning, those around him would whine and cry and plead and tell him not to do it. On the other hand, if he just sat back passively and let his people be slaughtered he would hold little to no respect or standing in the eyes of his family and people.
This does seem to be a common theme in our society. Take a look at the TV show and movie the Equalizer. Peace and harmony are fantastic but every once in a while somebody has to let out the inner darkness, the demon, and bring the thunder.

Think about something so common, something that affected most families in World War II, like young men enlisting to go off to war. On the one hand, there were girlfriends and sisters and mothers crying and whining and saying don't do, don't go. On the other hand if you were one of the guys that didn't enlist, or at least try to, how were you viewed?

It's not easy always being human, and it's not so easy being a man.
I'm not sure that I would release the demons forever even if I could for it seems that every once and a while someone needs to step up and do the dirty work.
I guess for now I'll just keep them locked up, put on a smile and carry on with my day.