People in General

**WARNING: the following post could be considered negative by some critics**

There are stints of time in each of our lives when realities are so thick and pungent that it makes for an interesting session of contemplation; times when one or more of the realities we’ve been subconsciously denying come to the forefront and stare us in the face until we deal with their pending implications.

Current Reality: People Suck

Now I realize that I am making a rather huge generalization here, but for the most part people do and you know I’m right. And I’m not really even being negative when I make this statement because the end result of this commentary will be to show you why the current reality that I am discussing isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

I learned way back in high school (doesn’t that seem like an eternity ago?!) that humans aren’t perfect and if given an opportunity, they will eventually and indeed fail me. But I’ve only learned recently that I am a masochist that subconsciously likes people to fail me just so that I can be reassured that humans as a species suck. How fucked up is that?! (It’s up for discussion.)

I’d like to think that on some level my subconscious adds a dash of denial in order to maintain hope that there are “better” people out there, but that would require ignoring the sucky reality! (And I’m one that likes to keep it real.)

It’s quite aggravating when I stop to evaluate the disregard that so many people have for the feelings of others, as well as many people’s inability to see things from the perspectives of others. I’m not exactly sure if either Regard or Perspective can be learned, but I am glad that I have acquired them somewhere along the way.

I also find it sad that many times the more you get to know someone, the less you think of them. I guess it all comes down to another gruesome reality: we are imperfect creatures that bleed our imperfections on others simply because we are forced to share this world with them. Maybe one day someone will learn how not to bleed and write a book including the fool-proof formula, but until then we’re stuck with each other! Stock up on the Bandaids.

And then there’s the always-interesting task of distinguishing between a disappointing instance and an unfortunate occurrence. I would have to say I’ve been disappointed by people a countless number of times, and disappointment always suggests expectations were involved. Expectations (warranted or not) always get the best of us, which is why I’ve learned to have very low expectations and slightly higher hopes. This, along with high standards, can make for a rough life in any environment, and also makes us thankful for the unfortunate!

The good part about all this (which I promised to get to) is that I’ve already learned, come to terms with, and pretty much accepted this reality concerning the nature of people. I’m afraid many individuals out there will forever have too much faith in the human race. I was taught at a very young age that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1). But I don’t believe faith is a luxury I can afford myself. For now, I’ll just look forward to being surprised by strangers along the way!

Other things I’m looking forward to:

*The 3 red velvet cupcakes in my fridge from Magnolia Bakery
*Being at the cabins for X-mas & seeing Victoria-toria
*M.D. and D.B. visiting the city for New Years!!
*Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead
*The New Year!!
*Warm weather and a tan :-)