Ahhh, irony. It's ironic, isn't it?

[thinksnow]

I've often seen it in my own life and in the lives of close friends over the years, but having access to the myriad stories of the TM has opened up more and more instances of blatant irony than I would have thought possible.

Most recently, and the impetus for this thread, is goboys dilemma (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=76528). A shy four days after the OP and mere hours after speaking about having and keeping a good job, he posted that he had been let go, noting the irony of the situation himself (I'm only taking it slightly out of context, but the point remains the same.)

I've noticed it many times in my own life: I'll mention that I'm really having a great time, I'm getting to really like someone or everything is coming up roses and sure enough, *blammo*, Fate steps in with a reality check. Not a month later, not a week later not even (usually) some time later, but almost as soon as the words come out, life takes a turn.

For instance: about a year ago I was downsized but was able to stay with the company through relocation. In my mind, at the time, it was a great thing- I got a huge raise and I got to move near the coast. Bonus bonus, woohoo! The day, the very day I was to drive down from Ohio to NC, my grandfather passed away. I had stayed the night at my parents, sort of a way-point, and had gone out and had a great time with some old friends the night before talking about new opportunities and planning vacations and all that. 6 AM, the phone rings and it's from Holland. My parents were on the first flight out, I had to hit the road and meet the movers, 600 miles and a coupla' states away.

I'm not even going to get into Fates mighty slapping hand when it comes to my love life!

The other thing, and maybe I'm just not as observant of these things so I might have missed them, but it never seems to go the other way. I've never found that I've been bemoaning my fate, kicking the dirt at the lousy hand I'd been dealt in life when suddenly, out of the blue, roses spring from the street cracks, women swoon at the sound of my voice and money showers me from every passing tree. Nope, not yet, and I think I would have noticed something like that.

Do we only notice the bad things? Am I a fear monger? Am I imagining things or should I never again tell the world that things are going my way?

Curious and cautious,
-ts Who is having an okay time with mediocre friends and ordinary job satisfaction.

[thinksnow]

This is the part where y'all pipe up with your anecdotes and personal observations. TYVM.




Okay, another example: I'm zipping down the highway, going here or there and I realize I'm making terrific time and haven't seen an officer of the law in well over a hundred miles...and there, over the next rise...you get the idea.

[wring]

I've noticed some greater Karmic things - but I don't know that I'd term them all 'ironic'. I recall once my son (at age 6 or so) was really pissed at me for some huge sin (something like not letting him run off and play outside since he had a sprained ankle), and he stomped up stairs in disgust. I did call out to him that perhaps stomping on a sore ankle wasn't the best idea. He admitted later on that it wasn't.

(just didn't want your 'serious' post to languish)

[heembo]

Back when I lived at home with my parents, I would occasionally lose something (not my mind - that came later). While looking for whatever it was I had lost, I would at some point blame it on my brother. "I know he took it, I just know it was him."

As soon as the words were uttered, I would literally trip over whatever it was I was looking for.

[glee]

I'm afraid it is just a case of selective memory.

As someone said:

if you're thinking of your mother when the phone rings and when you answer .... it's your aunt

then you don't remember it.

Similarly, when you're happy, you have lots of good memories. So when something sad hits, it sticks.

If you're sad, and bad stuff happens, you do'nt savour the memory.

You asked for an anecdote:

12 years ago I was stuck in a dead-end job, after a change of career failed thanks to a deceitful employer.
Suddenly I get headhunted for my dream job! The first I knew of it was when they asked me to come for interview.

[BunnyGirl]

I know exactly what you're talking about.

You get a good job and the next day, the company you really wanted to work for calls you.

You meet someone you totally click with and you're already involved.

You get an airline ticket all paid for and then get an email notification from Travelocity that the ticket price is now $100 under the price you paid.

I think the human psyche is hard wired to remember the "bad" things as kind of an evolutionary tool for marking "Danger Ahead". I know I have lots of good things happen that are ironic, but they are definately harder to remember. I don't think it's that we take them for granted; rather, that we see them for the fluke occurrences (sp) they are and don't depend on them to reoccur.

[Sofa King]

Heh. Only a few weeks ago I was crowing about how having my testacles operated on was leading to some great things, like sex, oversized genitalia, a fast Internet connection, and sobriety.

Well, I'm still sober, but I really want my big balls back.

[scout1222]

Well, I'm still sober, but I really want my big balls back.

Cripes. That's a sig waiting to happen. I'd ask for it myself, but, being a gal and all, never had big balls to begin with.

I have a twist on your original version of irony. I notice that things that seem bad eventually work out okay. So I follow the "everything happens for a reason" way of thinking.

Case in point: I apply for a job with a former co-worker. Kick ass job, benefits, excellent company, etc. I don't get it. About 2 months later I'm up for another job and get it. I take it, ruing the fact that I don't get to work with the co-worker. Turns out, this boss is 10x better and I love it. So it all worked out in the end.

[thinksnow]

Scout, that's good stuff, but what I'm talking about is the 180 degree offsets that happen almost as soon as the thought occurs. My driving vs. the cops and heembos story are really what I'm talking about. No sooner do you think or say something than, *poof*, everything changes.

glee, I'm sure you and BunnyGirl are probably right about the selective memory thing, which is why I asked about the good-vs-bad turn arounds. I'm a firm believer in the "everything happens for a reason" school of thought, but still, there seems to be a disparity in ironic changes of luck.

Sofa, sorry to hear about your sobriety...uh, I mean balls. Sorry to hear about your balls (you should talk to Crunchy (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=77221).)

[Jeannie]

Well, this is similar to the "wow, what great traffic, oh no there's a cop" thing. When I'm driving home, I listen to the radio and pay close attention to the traffic report. Every time they say that it's clear sailing on the tollway I take, someone will invariably have an accident up ahead, or a truck will roll over, or somehow stop the flow of traffic.

Also, on days when I am fairly certain I can get out of work early, something will happen to cause me to have to stay late. This is more likely to happen if I have to be somewhere directly after work.

I can also cause it to rain by getting a carwash.

[glee]

Originally posted by Jeannie
Well, this is similar to the "wow, what great traffic, oh no there's a cop" thing. When I'm driving home, I listen to the radio and pay close attention to the traffic report. Every time they say that it's clear sailing on the tollway I take, someone will invariably have an accident up ahead, or a truck will roll over, or somehow stop the flow of traffic.

Also, on days when I am fairly certain I can get out of work early, something will happen to cause me to have to stay late. This is more likely to happen if I have to be somewhere directly after work.

I can also cause it to rain by getting a carwash.

As I said above, I think these are just selective memory.
If the radio says it's clear up ahead - and it stays that way - do you note it as a counter example to your belief?

If you do get out of work on time for your appointment, or it doesn't rain on your clean car , would you post that here?

Actually , that would be a great thread!
'Something normal happened to me today'...

[Kaitlyn]

Life is sweet! I am engaged to a remarkably beautiful, smart, considerate, sweet-natured woman half my age. I have a job I love (teaching 5th grade). I have a part time job as an instructor at the local university (children's lit), which is so much fun I'd almost do it for free, but it pays the equivilent of $40 an hour anyway. I paid off my house and car three months ago, effectively giving me an extra $700 in disposable income. I tried to add another $500 to my tax-deferred mutual fund, only to find out that $300 more would put me at the max. My latest statement from my financail advisor indicates that at the rate I've been putting money away, I'll have over a million dollars saved for retirement in addition to my pension. My latest check-up (paid for by employer paid health insurance) showed that I have a cholesterol of 160, with an ldl/hdl ratio of 4.3 to 1, and that my heart is in excellent shape. When I asked about putting my future wife on my health insurance, I found out that the extra cost is entirely employer paid, as it will be for our future children. Summer session at the college ends in a few weeks, and I will have 40 days to do absolutely nothing but read, play computer games, and post to SDMB. Does life get any better than this?

Now, according to the "fates" theory, I should be struck by lightening any minute now. It has to end sometime, but I'm damn well going to enjoy it while it lasts.

[sub]Then again, maybe this is a roll that will last the rest of my life. If that's not asking for it, I don't know what is!

[thinksnow]

You are so, so gonna get screwed. If I were you, I'd make sure all the appliances were completely out of the bathroom before even approaching the tub, I'd wear a dang helmet when golfing and eat only vegi's I know have been thoroughly washed.

Hope it all works out, mate.

[Eliahna]

Is it ironic that I went for job interviews with Company A and Company B, then Company A hired me, then Company B called and offered me a job, but I turned it down because I was working for Company A, then Company A folded, and I lost my job, so I was going to apply for a job with Company B again, but an employee of Company B came to my house to visit a housemate while off work with Glandular Fever, which I caught, which made me so sick that I've been unable to work for 5 years now, but my SO supports us both, with his good job at Company B?

Or is it just a bunch of stupid stuff that happened to me?

[BunnyGirl]

NumberSix, I relate to where you're coming from.

I have a wonderful husband, awesome friends (on-line and IRL), I'm healthy as a horse, I have a great job with wonderful benefits, my family is great and I love them dearly, both my cars are running, some disposable income, very little installment debt (in comparison to most). Now, my questions is, when am I gonna get screwed? When is the big B.O.H.I.C.A. ([b]think[/i], I know you understand that acronym).

I was thinking about it this morning, writing in my journal. My life is too good. When is lighting going to strike? Plus, I feel a little ungrateful. I mean, my life is good - but all this goodness can be a tad boring, ya know. I know a lot of people would give their right arm to have my life. I know that, but I still feel like I need some change or for something to happen. Of course, the something that happens never fails to be terrible or tragic. I remember reading a poem by Ogden Nash (I think it was him) that went something like when it's cold, man wants it hot, when it's hot, he wants it cold, always wanting what is not. Apropos.

[thinksnow]

cazzle, that's quite a spot of bad luck and certainly, it qualifies as ironic. Wow. Things like that, and I suppose this is a subject for another thread, but things liek that really surprise me with how small in interelated the world, peoples lives and events can be.

Hey Bunny, it's like the emperors ring: "This too shall pass." I can relate, too, I was just trying to hedge my bets with the fine print at the bottom of the OP.

[glee]

Originally posted by Number Six
... Now, according to the "fates" theory, I should be struck by lightening any minute now.[ /QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by BunnyGirl
... My life is too good. When is lighting going to strike?

So Number Six is going on a diet, and BunnyGirl is going to have a lightbulb fall on her head :confused:

[BunnyGirl]

D'oh!!!! Good catch; I think you got the meaning though.

[Kaitlyn]

Originally posted by glee
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Number Six
... Now, according to the "fates" theory, I should be struck by lightening any minute now.[ /QUOTE]

Originally posted by BunnyGirl
... My life is too good. When is lighting going to strike?

So Number Six is going on a diet, and BunnyGirl is going to have a lightbulb fall on her head :confused:

Irony: Nit-picking someone's typos and forgetting the period at the end of your sentence.

[cher3]

This isn't really serious, but I did find it ironic.

I love to cook, but rarely get time to really get into it like I used to before I had little kids hanging around the stove. However, a couple of weeks ago I had a chance to whip up a couple of recipes I'd been craving. (Ethiopian lentil stew..mmmm.)

The next day I came down with the first case of strep throat I'd had in about 35 years. Between the pain and the antibiotics, I completely lost my appetite. The stuff is still sitting in the freezer.

The good news is that I lost 5 pounds, although I can't say I recommend that method.

[Jeannie]

Oh, I have no doubt that a lot of this kind of stuff is selective memory.

The thing about the traffic reports is that usually there is really bad traffic on the tollway I take. So I take notice when the traffic is good. On the days when it "should" be good (according to reports), I'd say it turns out to be actually good a little less than half the time. I drive right past the exits for several other expressways and tollways, as well as the exits for O'Hare Airport. So do I think bad traffic is "fate"? No, it means I should get a job closer to home :)

[hardygrrl]

Irony..what a bitch


I meet a guy. He's smart,funny,fun to talk to,hot....and he likes me. He can deal with me-which isn't easy I'll admit. He's the kind of guy I've always dreamed about and we have so much in common it's scary.


And he's already taken. :(

[slackergirl]

Last February 7 I went to my regular appointment with my shrink, and said that things were going great - I had a great job, cool roommate, nice boyfriend - and I decided to end therapy, maybe as soon as the next session. I had been feeling really stable for a couple of months and my shrink agreed. I get in my car, drive to work, and get laid off. Oooops.

On a lighter note, I was a terrible student. I refused to do busy work, or homework if I knew the subject. This was especially a problem in math. In 7th grade Pre-Algebra we had this homework assignment - it was on set theory and Venn diagrams. It pretty much involved writing out several pages of lists of numbers that were the union/intersection/whatever of the sets, so I did the first couple of problems at the end of class, understood it and didn't bother with the rest of it. It was absolutely the worst busy-work-intensive assignment I ever received.

Fast-Forward about 10 years - I'm substitute teaching junior high school. I walk into my classroom for the day and discover that the kids are using the exact same book I did. I then discover that my job for the day is to do that exact same assignment, all 44 problems of it, for all 6 periods, on the overhead projector.

I can assure you that if I wasn't actually clear on those concepts when I was 12, I've definitely got them all now.

[lesa]

Here's a minor example in the "good" direction.

I really like mysteries. I've been reading a lot of mysteries lately, but there weren't many good mystery shows on TV. So I've been watching re-runs of Poirot.

Then one day I said to my brother, "I'd really enjoy seeing some good mystery shows."

Bam! A&E starts showing Nero Wolf. BBC America starts showing Jonathon Creek, which I had never seen before. This week A&D suddenly had a NEW Poirot, followed by a new Nero Wolf. The next day there were two episodes of Jonathon Creek followed by Hettie Wainthrope.

I can't keep up!

[AbbySthrnAccent]

A February several years ago. My hubby and sons come to the office, deliver construction paper hearts, red scribbles and roses and then take me out to lunch. After lunch the office mate says something like, you have the most delightful family, your boys are so happy, handsome and charming. I'm grinning and pleased with what the boys have done and by her compliment and respond by telling her something like her daughter is beautiful as well. She starts talking about the delight that is her daughter and her own fears, pauses and says, "Do you ever worry that they will get leukemia or something? I just worry about it all the time, I have sleepless nights because of it." I reply, "No, other than OldestSthrnAccents hayfever type allergies, they're very healthy and almost never ill. I never think about it or worry." Both remarks pass without further thought. Until...

Two weeks later OldestSthrnAccent comes home from school with chicken pox, seven days later YoungerSthrnAccent has it too. Ten more days pass and YoungerSthrnAccent is in the hospital with leukemia. Since then sleepless nights abound. It feels like irony of the fates compounded exponentially.

Abby

[Zenster]

I find it ironic that while the rest of Silicon Valley's semiconductor capital equipment manufacturers are ploughing through exit interviews, my company's CEO hosted a luncheon party today for the last few months of new hires (over twenty of us).

While everyone else is projecting flat or falling revenues we will likely show almost 70% growth this year. My stock options have already doubled in value despite the latest hits Wall Street has unfairly dealt to non-internet high technology firms. I have been able to significantly outperform the last three people who held my position. I've also saved my company every cent of regular wages they have ever paid me.

We have one of the highest ratios of genuiely nice people in our almost 150 strong workforce of any other company I have worked for (I've been at many of the biggest firms in Silicon Valley). The CEO already knows me by name and we cannot find enough skilled people to fill our jobs. I've have been directly told by management that they want me here for a career position.

The only irony is that I have sought this position for the last ten years enduring crappy jobs at the other chip equipment mills. I could paper a wall with the job application rejection slips I have received from all of the other major players in this valley.