STEPHEN FRY

might you be being a bit too hard on yourself over new year's?

just seems like, when folks do a lot of self-evaluation, it's also a time when folks may do a bit of... well, distorted self evaluation. it can be a time when folks are too hard on themselves. i see you get frustrated over and over with life, but that's very natural and human. your frustrations have NEVER lead me to believe you are anything but a kind, sensitive, friendly person. they bob you around like a penguin on an iceberg but you're still Fryfan.

joan's got a great idea with the physical activity. i don't know what's around you where you are... right now the weather is such that i can't ride my bike or do any of that, but sometimes going bowling or finding a pinball game or something at an old arcade is helpful! anything to whack on, and it slowly turns that desire to slap things around into something kinda fun.

When I was young I treated the world as an open book. I didn't realise people had bad intentions. And, if I did come across such people, that the world was big enough for me to keep a distance from them.

Now in my 40s, I've know that there are really nasty people in this world, and it's hard to get away from them always, because they turn up in your workplace, in neighbourhood, and as friends of friends. And before you know it, the damage they do can be deeply hurtful - because these are very clever and manipulative people - and it means that you end up being made out to be the individual who is in the wrong. And you end up having to leave work, and your friends turn against you.

It doesn't mean that, even now, I treat people with suspicion. I still believe the best in people. It's just I've become more attuned to the signs.

Don't be hard on yourself fryfan - save your energy for when you come up against a really nasty piece of work. Then kick ass.

I know what you mean michael, I do sometimes feel (wrongly) ignored on twitter. quantumofire, I always been suspicious of people, its just me I guess.

Don't apologise fryfan20... Rant away!!! Anyone who is not angry has missed the point. Don't mellow as you get older, become more extreme!! Just get more creative with your rants. People should rant, the world is unjust and ridiculous. Ranting is the normal state of being. The alternative is complacency, mediocrity and the acceptance of dullness.
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I listened to your podcast John,I suppose I should be honoured. you are certainly quite talented ow btw, many people seem to think I am a man but I am a women.

I saw a t-shirt fryfan not too long ago I wish I had ordered right then because I cannot find it now. It said "If your happy and you know it, go away." If I find it again I will pm you the link.

I had more issues with controling my anger when I was younger and it still creeps up on me at times. My son has big time trouble controling his anger. He had to go to hospital for a few days and in one of our family sessions the therapist asked what we have him do to release and calm himself.

One thing was we had a big punching bag hanging in the garage and he could go out and just punch away at that. The therapist said that new information indicated that things of that nature only cause the anger to get worse. She suggested we start having him push on a wall. She told him to push on it as if he were trying to push the wall down. It sounded like a load of crap to me but we tried it. I could kind of see what she ment because when I slam a door and it just makes a whooshing sound instead of banging that makes me more angry.

My son did push on the wall, and he really, really pushed like he was trying to push the wall down. It was surprisingly exhausting and he calmed down alot faster. I could not believe it so I tried it myself, and it really is exhausting!!!!

No one has mistaken me for a male yet. I thought perhaps cross gendered at least with marz (mars) for my birth sign being masculin and then girl. Oh well. Failed attempt to be mysterious. The only girly thing about me is I get my nails done twice a month. Other than that I am not sure I have a girly bone in my body. I joke with my husband and tell him I am a gay man trapped in a woman's body.

A grovelling apology Fryfan20 must be my innate sexism made me think you were male.
I'm getting interested in this whole thing about ranting. It is, as you know, a respected genre amongst the stand up fraternity. Might devote a whole show to ranting. Thanks very much for the comment about me being talented, my ego devoured the compliment and grows fat as we speak. Keep up the ranting it’s good for you.

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