I’ve learned a lot in the past half year. I don’t think it would have been so easy to wake up and realize that I needed to curb the extreme ways I felt about people and their slip-ups had it not been for these past 6 months. 

I mean, it’s kind of hard to ever feel so black-and-white about people and their intentions after experiencing the agony of hundreds/thousands of strangers judging you over something that’s 1) wrong, and 2) none of their business, besides. (Yes, I also learned a very harsh lesson about assuming it was ever safe or a good idea to vent publicly about a personal matter. People make stupid mistakes. I am a person, and therefore it follows that I, too, make stupid and thoughtless and careless mistakes. I am always trying to make less of those. I try even harder to not make the same mistake twice.)

Anyway, it sucks when people make up stories about your intentions. It’s usually a good idea to refrain from judging others. This is something I have struggled with for a long time, myself, for various childhood reasons I am still unlearning. Experiencing it so thoroughly, feeling the frustration that comes with people not understanding where you’re coming from… well, it’s only served to remind me not to be a perpetrator in something like that, myself. I guess I’m thankful that I’m the type of person who can handle it - I would gladly take bullshit thrown my way if it means someone who can’t handle it doesn’t receive it.

I guess that’s all I can hope to gain from this — learning what not to do, who not to be like, in my quest to be more loving, patient, and compassionate — and less judgmental and quick-to-anger.

I guess this comic sums up some of the thoughts I’ve been having lately about this - though there’s only so much I can say with little pictures of Kecleon!

Anyway, with my birthday happening in a couple of hours, I’m hoping for a good 25th year on this planet. It’s been a pretty good 2015 so far anyway!