Emotional Intelligence much?

Screaming bloody murder at a stranger over the phone wasn't exactly my idea of getting the message across to the intended party. But since the said party has been playing hide and seek with me for months now, the pent-up rage just came gushing out once I handed out my ultimatum. All that shouting and yelling felt damn good. Except that I pity the person on the other end of the phone. I wish I took a couple of minutes to apologize to her that the rage wasn't directed at her and she shouldn't take it personally before slamming down the phone. On the other hand, I promptly comforted myself that at some points of our lives, whether we like it or not, we will somehow serve as an outlet for someone else's frustrations, rage, disappointment etc. Either we could empathize and reason that it is not about us and move on, or we could let it spoil our mood and ruin our day. That totally depends on our emotional intelligence.

Easier said than done of course, when I have allowed many incidences get at me and fly off the handle countless times. So much for emotional intelligence!

But my emotional intelligence seemed to be on a high just yesterday when I caught myself thinking, how bad would it be even if I couldn't get what I wanted? My life would not change a single bit because of that. So why should I get all worked up and drained because of a few idiots? I was smiling smugly to myself as these thoughts raced through my mind, proud that I've attained some enlightenment and determined not to let those idiots affect me.

Judging by my outburst today however, that revelation suddenly doesn't seem so revealing after all. Hahaha...

I am Sherlocked

No one will believe just how out of touch I have been. Mad Men, Homeland, Downtown Abbey, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Dexter, The Walking Dead... Not a glimpse of them have I caught. Not even Glee, of which the work-laden former Prime Minister Gordon Brown is a secret fan. Like a friend quipped when I innocently asked years ago what is F4 and who is Cheryl Fox, 'Which planet are you from?' And I was away from Singapore for only six months.

Not that I haven't heard of these gripping, fun, suspenseful, humorous, violent, smart, thought-provoking (depending on which series you are talking about) dramas, Facebook makes sure I get updated on my friends' sofa-bound activities. As tempting as these tv series are, I am careful not to get sucked into it all. Because I know how easy they can get me hooked and there is no turning back once I eat drink sleep these addictives. For each season of a series, 13 straight hours would be spent glued to the small screen. Multiply that to say 5 seasons of it, that's 65 hours of my life. I wouldn't exactly call that time wasted. Who doesn't need some entertainment every now and then to spice up our mundane daily routine? But I can certainly use those hours to write and read. In case you don't know, I am making up for lost time.

That being said, I am only human and I am weak. I couldn't resist the temptation any longer and finally succumbed to Sherlock. I will not go on and on about the pure joy of watching this critically acclaimed series. You can find out by yourself if I have piqued your curiosity. Just be warned that you might be enticed to watch it all over again if you are a sucker for posh English accent and dry humour like me.

The pure joy had to be marred however by a lurking companion while I was devouring Sherlock (pun intended), namely, guiltiness. Guilty because I was spending precious time away from writing and reading. Then I reasoned this self-inflicted remorse makes the respite all the more bitter-sweet. Furthermore, with 3 episodes per season, not much time is being wasted, really. That got rid of my demon. I am amazed, yet again, at my super ability to romantise things too positively. Hehe.

The dormant volcano of drama-watching will not and cannot stay inactive forever.