I think we all need to get a life. Seriously, folks. Let's all take a deep breath - a timeout of sorts - count to three, and reflect on things. Maybe when we're done with that little exercise, we'll realize things aren't that bad and we don't have much to complain about.

Now, I'm not standing on my soapbox and lecturing to you. I'm not exempt from this. If anything, I'm one of the worst offenders.

This is the same guy that ripped a disk drive out of the wall and threw it across the room because the -computer crashed while writing a CD.

Yes, the same person who frequently must excuse himself from watching sporting events because of the threat of a self-inflicted stroke.

And yes, the same person who used to throw temper tantrums when he was 3 years old because Mr. Rogers didn't wear the red sweater.

I've been the butt of my friends' countless jokes for my short fuse and unique ability to get worked up about some of the most worthless, meaningless, useless, pointless and frivolous stuff in the world that I most certainly have no control over.

But I have matured at my ripe old age of 24. I'm quickly realizing that I'm shaving years off my life by obsessing over things that don't really matter in the long run. Slowly but surely, I'm starting to learn to let things roll off my back instead of breaking inanimate objects or over-analyzing a particular issue to the point of exhaustion.

I think we could all do a better job of doing that. Will it happen? Probably not. People love to get angry.

People will complain even if it's their fault they're in that situation in the first place.

I was at the airport this weekend, so -naturally I was people-watching. I was eating some pizza in the food court, and some woman was going crazy. It appeared that she had stupidly tried to carry on a bag that was too large for the overhead bin. This was despite the fact that the concourse is peppered with those things you can measure your bag in to see if it fits.

So this woman is whining - in front of her two young daughters, mind you - about how unfair it was that the airline forced her to check the bag and pay the fee associated with it.

"This really [ticks] me off!" she told her husband. "I'm not taking this [expletive]!"

I have a feeling she gave herself a headache at some point. Probably her husband, too, poor guy. Not to mention the indigestion I got from her grating voice.

What about the people that sue fast food joints because they claim they made them fat? What happened to personal accountability? I don't think it takes a master's in biology to realize that eating a Triple Whopper every day probably isn't good for you. Argh!

But you know what I really can't stand? People who blame everyone else for their own problems. It's society's fault. It's the government's fault. It's their spouse's fault. It's their boss's fault. It's their cat's fault. Wah, wah, wah! They sit in self-pity, wallowing through life. "Woe is me."

Here's a news flash - it's your own fault, buddy! You choose to be miserable. Take control of your own life.

The list goes on and on and on. The service at restaurants. The way people drive. Taking too long to check out at the supermarket. Taxes. Insurance costs. Congress.

I'm so sick of hearing people complain about everything! Life is good, people!

Hang on ... deep breaths ... 1 ... 2 ... 3...

Shoot. I guess I'm a lost cause, too.

Contact John Krahnert III at (910) 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com