Sunday, November 8, 2015

Sorry, Not Sorry

I've been thinking about this a lot, and fully expect some of you to be unhappy when you run across it. So do what you have to do; unfriend me on Facebook or say rude things in the comments or unfollow my silly ass on Twitter or chant and wave incense. Whatever blows your hair back.

It's this. I am tired of hearing about how horrible this country is and how dreadfully the US has treated its citizens and others over time. Yep, we have a checkered history, and things haven't always been wonderful for a whole lot of people, but for the most part, the blame claiming and victimization pointing begins at least a generation or more back from where we are now; in most cases, a great deal longer than that. And the thing is, we can't change a note of it. It's done. It is what it is. And for that reason, because it cannot be changed, I frankly do not care who you are or what your family's backstory is, and I'm really not interested in hearing about the trials and tribulations that your grandparents, parents, or neighbors have gone through. In the greater scheme of existence, it simply doesn't have a lot of relevance to anyone who is currently drawing breath. Because if you go back far enough, everyone can absolutely find something to use as an excuse to be horrible to other people. So rather than play tit for tat, let's just stipulate that life is NOT FAIR and get on with it,

Because here's the thing: If you spend your time trying to MAKE life fair or chant, march, and inveigh against the people who have managed to hurt your precious feels, you will waste both your life and your time. Seriously. Get on with whatever it is that you want to do with your life and stop worrying about someone else's opinion, because the only way someone can hurt your precious feelings is if you allow them that privilege inside of your own head.

We can change today. We can change RIGHT NOW. The past is what the past is, but the future can be what we choose to make of it. But the first step, the essential first step, is that we have to be willing to forgive the events of the past and stop using them to justify our own behavior today. We have to be willing to let go, let stuff slide, and move on with our lives, trusting that others are doing the same. And if we can manage that, even a little, the world will be a much better place.