I believe it's contagious, but the good news is, only if you allow it. I know you're referring to moods, but I believe it goes deeper than that, and that is, allowing people to make or ruin your day. Here's a little ditty I wrote a while back:
The Most Attractive Quality of Jerks
In my office I have a copy of one of my favorite Gary Larson comics… it is Mr. Larson’s caricature of ‘God’ creating the world. ‘God’ is reaching behind Him much like a chef would select a can of ‘seasoning’. The caption reads, ‘Just to make things interesting’. On the can, it says, ‘JERKS’. There is a slight smirk on, yes, ‘God’s’ face.
Yes, the world, like a bad joke, is seasoned with, jerks. People who ride your bumper when you’re already surpassing the speed limit and then flash their lights (what a jerk!) or the jerk that manipulates the kindness of an attractive young girl only to impregnate her and leave her high and dry not paying one red cent to raise his (and her) baby.
Oh, we could have a great time here, determining what the lowest jerk-misdeed ever perpetrated is. Of course, the misdeed is just the action, the jerk is the PERSON themselves, male or female (yes, I guess there are female jerks, but mostly, although I am male, I have to admit the term predominately takes on the masculine form although it seems to me there are getting to be more and more female jerks.)
People who have the uncanny ability to change themselves like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde depending on their direction of the lack of moral fiber, oh, that’s a quality alright, but not to be considered attractive.
No, we are taking about seasoning. The attractive quality can only be attributed to something with the similitude of pepper or a bitter herb, left on its own, would make a person nauseated, vomit or sneeze, and would be most reprehensible. But as life is a potpourri of people and experiences, taking the jerks out of this world, it is possible that things would indeed be too sweet, or too bland. Could it possibly be that without this ‘seasoning’ that Mr. Larson’s ‘God’ sprinkled upon this earth, that we would not appreciate the kindness and thoughtfulness of our fellow man?
Years ago I owned a retail business. I was amazed at the kindness of people who came through the doors, yet it took only one single JERK to ruin my day. Through it, though, I determined that I wasn’t going to let that happen. I steeled myself, and purposely showed my appreciation for every kindness and smile that came with most everyone else.
That must be the most attractive quality, as there certainly isn’t any other quality in jerks. I suppose, in reality, God knows what’s best, and if a little seasoning makes us better persons, perhaps it isn’t such a bad joke after all. (Hooray for Jerks!)
