THE ART OF RANTING

Rant:    Violent or extravagant speech or writing

There are few days during which I would have difficulty something to rant about; the poor economy, the terrorists on the loose all over the world; the feeling of anonymity and helplessness so many of us feel.  What is more difficult than ever before is to find people with the patience and tolerance to listen.  I've often wondered what is the commonality (if there is one) among ranters. 

Ways to recognize a rant early might be when someone starts with a high pitched tone and usually more audible.  The early words might be, "I cannot believe....!"; 'What could that S.*..B. have been thinking of?"; "I'm really pi**ed off!", :and the list could go on and on depending on the context of the rant.


Of key import to make a rant successful, the ranter must hold the attention of the listener.  The rant must be relevant, not emotionally off-putting, delivered with few tangents, and must  be clear that the ranter is not asking the listener to solve the problem presented.

Whether you are talking to yourself, out loud, or whether you are so angry you wish to spread the rage over others, ranting is here to say if for no more reason than it is easier to do today than a few decades ago.  You can rant on forums, by blog, op-ed columns, email, telephone, letters to the Editor, writing you political representative, and many other sources which those of you who have ranted will readily think of.  Rant on, America...someone will be sure to eventually hear your voice and, who knows, enough voices out there ranting may actually get some needed changes made in our country.