I’ll admit it, I don’t understand a lot of people. One minute they are friendly, and the next, they won’t even talk to you. It’s always a mystery to me when people seemingly get pissed off at me. I ask myself, “What did I do to make them act this way?” Most people consider me a nice guy who’s smart and kind. I’d do anything for my friends.
They are those who have a dislike of me from the start, usually either because I’m gay or Southern. You’d be amazed at the number of people up north who discriminate against Southerners. Of course, most people just want to hear my accent and have no problem with me being Southern, though sadly a lot of people hear a Southern accent and think you’re dumb. It’s a bad stereotype. Think of really dumb people in movies or television; they more often than not have a southern accent, though usually a really bad one.
Then, there are the people who you thought were your friend, but as Heidi Klum would say on Project Runway, “One day you’re in; the next day you’re out.” I think those are the ones that hurt you the most. There are few things as devastating as when someone you thought was a friend turns their back to you. As gay people, we often have to deal with this when we come out and you find out who your true friends are.
Of course, there are also the users. They use you for their benefit and take advantage of your kindness only to turn on you when you say no. I had a boyfriend like that once. He liked me for exactly two things: I had a car that could take him places and the sex. I mostly didn’t mind the sex part, but only liking me because I could drive him places was something I did mind.
Finally, there are the true friends. When you need them, they are always there for you. They are always there with an encouraging word or an ear to listen to your problems. They are there when you just need to gossip but want to make sure no one else will hear what you have to say. Friends, true friends, will laugh with you and cry with you. They’ll give you a hug when you most need it, and when you’re upset and think you just want to be left alone, they realize that you really need someone, even if you don’t think you do.
I’m not sure why this all popped in my mind, but it’s probably because of a few things going on in my life right now that have me perplexed.
Photo of Bruce Weber : https://www.liveauctioneers.com/price-result/bruce-weber-tom-on-the-island-bear-pond-1988/
ReplyDeleteI think it's general: people from the North discriminate against people from the South: France, Italy...
Good morning from a bright and sunny Boston. I hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteMostly, all is well. Thanks, BosGuy.
ReplyDeletePeople from the South should be discriminated against, until proven otherwise. And I am from/in North Carolina.
ReplyDeleteSouthern people have behaved so abysmally that it should be assumed they are bigots until proven otherwise. It’s what I do everyday.
Anonymous, we all make snap judgements about stereotypes, but there are a lot of us who spent years fighting against the bigotry. I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but I admit, when someone loudly proclaims they are Christian, I tend to judge them as bigots until proven otherwise. I at least am trying to do better and give people the benefit of the doubt.
ReplyDeleteparfois je n'ose pas laisser de commentaires pour cause de fatigue et peur de la mauvaise qualité de mon Anglais mais chaque semaine je suis fidÚle lecteur et apprécie vos photos (celle du 31 se trouve d'ailleurs sur mon Tumblr) et vos pensées philosophiques
ReplyDeleteMerci, Jos. Il n'y a pas besoin de s'inquiĂ©ter pour votre anglais, il suffit de commenter en français. Bien que je ne parle ni ne lis le français (seulement un peu d'espagnol), je peux facilement l'exĂ©cuter via Google Translate. Je suis ravie que mon petit blog vous plaise. merci d'ĂȘtre un lecteur fidĂšle.
ReplyDeleteOui Jos écrivez en français : c est ma langue .... La traduction par google est parfois curieuse .
ReplyDeleteJoe supongo que ya sabes que aunque lejos yo me considero tu amigo y creo que tu me consideras tu amigo. Al menos eso es lo que me gustarĂa.
ReplyDeleteTe echo de menos, me preocupa no saber de ti ni de los problemas que me habĂas contado.
Quiero que sepas que te ofrezco mi amistad y que puedes contar conmigo. A mi no me importa si eres del sur o si eres de color azul o si eres del Polo Norte, porque a mi solo me interesa de ti tu personalidad, tu afecto por las personas que te rodean e incluso por las personas que estamos "un poco" lejos.
Espero tus noticias, pero solo cuando tu puedas.
Un gran abrazo de tu amigo de Oviedo.
Ăngel
Being in nature on a nice day, fully naked at the water’s edge is an unequivocal “Zen Moment.” One can sense this guy’s sense of tranquility. Nice picture!
ReplyDelete