You don’t know me. You don’t know how I feel, react, live or just get by. You don’t know my plans, my fears or my desires. You may see me daily, work with me or have grown up with me but you don’t really know me. So stop judging me and gossiping about what I do.
I don’t go to church therefore I must have distanced myself from God. — You don’t know me and my personal relationship with my Lord.
I don’t show emotion or react in public like you think I should. I may be preoccupied and fail to acknowledge you in a public place so you say I am a snotty bitch. — You don’t know me and what kind of day I am having.
I don’t conduct business the way that “you would do it” so you say that I have no idea what I am doing. — You don’t know me and my plans for the future.
I don’t talk to the “right” people or wear the “right” clothes or drive the “right” cars. — You don’t know me and the great group of friends and family I have. And I really don’t give a damn what you think about the clothes and vehicles.
We all wear invisible masks. We all hide what we don’t want seen, our raw selves. We all react differently to different situations. I cannot honestly tell you that I “understand how you feel” in any situation because I don’t, I am not you. I can count on one hand the number of people in my life that can look at me even when I have my best “happy mask” on and know there is something not quite right. Those are the very few who really know me.
So remember this when I walk into a store, bank, post office or restaurant and you have some snide remark to say about me when I leave. I had much rather you just ask me if you want to know if the rumor is true that “you heard”. I will either answer your question honestly or say it is none of your business but until you hear it from me I assure you that you have no idea what you are talking about because you don’t know me.
I do understand your negative judgmental attitude because apparently it is so much easier to judge and talk about others when you don’t want to face the crap going on in your own life. (I know because I have been there too!) It is much more fun to revel in the fact that a member of the community is going through a divorce, dependency, financial woes, etc. because it makes you feel better about your miserable existence. Well it’s time to step down from your pious thrones and join the real world.
What we should all be doing is praying for each other! Praying for peace and understanding that we may all go through each day knowing that God loves us and will strengthen us. Stop judging, stop the gossip, have something positive to say to everyone even if it is a simple “Hello”.
But if you still choose to line up like vultures on a limb every day just to watch the coming and going of people and if you still choose to trash them so you can feel better about yourselves……just remember shit flows both ways.