Pondering

It is traditional to ponder life, make resolutions, assess our progress and set new goals on the first day of each new year. This past year has been a tumultuous year on many levels--personal and public. My pondering has pinpointed a new-to-me danger...the toxic acquaintance.

This individual is very pleasant on the surface until you express any opinion that differs from theirs. Then wham-o. Instantly it's made crystal clear that isn't permitted.

Silly me. I thought all those folks espousing "co-existence" actually believed that. Not so.

I'm relatively easygoing. It's all right with me if you are gay, have purple eyes and hair, and worship trees. I don't care if you only eat vegetables--or if you hunt animals for food. If you choose to never read or like to watch unreality TV or prefer to spend your weekends playing war with paint balls, that's okay with me, too. 

None of the above means I will give up my own beliefs. I believe in long term heterosexual relationships (otherwise know as marriage), I'm a WASP of long standing, and I worship God. I don't own a gun, but I believe I have the right to own one. I don't own a machete, either, but apparently no one cares whether or not I want to.

During this past year I encountered a ton of folks who only tolerated those who espoused beliefs in common with them. And they pulled no punches in bullying those who did not share their beliefs. I'm not a very confrontational individual. Except for the most heinous crimes, I will not climb on a soapbox to rant. But neither will I tolerate the cyber-bullying currently so rampant on the social media networks.

So if you're one of the bullies, I'll be unfriending you as soon as I can. You've revealed your true colors and you're no friend of anyone--except other bullies.

The same goes for those individuals who choose to use obscenities and vulgarities instead of adjectives, adverbs, nouns, verbs, and prepositions. That's sheer laziness, my fellow writers. Unless you've just encountered a dead person or met up with someone beating someone/something, there are a host of other appropriate words to use.

I wish you one and all a prosperous and wonderful year. Trust me. We'll both be happier if we don't spend it together.

anny