This too shall pass....

No one said life would be easy or are we prepared for how hard it can be until we are forced to find a strength inside ourselves that we didn't know existed.

Despite my sarcastic sense of humor, one of my strongest character traits is that of being empathetic (many times to a fault).   What makes me this way is the memory of experiences that I have witnessed or personally had that caused hurt and humiliation.

There is a special kind of person that can, with malicious intent, inflict pain on someone be it emotionally, mentally or physically.  Here is my question.  Are you one of them?

Do you make fun of someone who is different or who doesn't conform to what you believe is a standard in this world?  Do you seek out the wounded one because you know you can take advantage of them?  Do you walk with or behind a group of people who do these things? 

When I was growing up I was often teased about my weight.  My mom would always tell me the "stick and stones" crap.  I didn't know it was crap then but when she would say it to me my thoughts were the words and actions do hurt so I added these feelings to the growing "what is wrong with me" list.

Our thoughts, actions and feelings are ours to own.  There will be times when we as individuals don't even understand the thoughts and feelings we are having - they are ours nonetheless, whether we choose to analyze, ignore or act on them.  There is nothing wrong with us for having these feelings.  They are feelings not facts.  However, what we do with them is what makes us into the people we are.  What kind of person are you?  What kind of person do you want to be?

I look back on my youth and remember some of the hurtful things said and done to me.  I remember feeling that it would go on forever.  It doesn't.  When we are young we don't always see how far ahead life goes.  We only see up the block.  There are several corners that we will need to turn and hills to climb.  Life is an amazing thing.  You are worth more than those hurtful things being thrown at you. It is a remarkable feeling to look back and be able to say "I got through that so fuck you!"

Life is full of mistakes and is a slow, grueling and growing process but don't let anyone else define who you are but more importantly don't give your future, the entire life you have ahead of you, to the words and actions or complete assholes.  That is what they are, nothing comes out of them but vile human waste (and possibly corn).

You made a mistake or bad choice own it.  It is yours to take and grow with, to share with someone who will do the same thing. DO NOT under any circumstance take yourself away from this world before your time.  You were put here for a purpose - you are uniquely you, a gift that someone else needs in their life.

I could have told you how this was going to end...

Man dies after live roach-eating contest in Florida.


Read more: Why you shouldn't eat bugs!
Published October 09, 2012
Associated Press