Welcoming back

So, it's been almost 4yrs since I posted anything.  A lot happened.  By that, I mean, my whole world looks nothing like it did 4yrs ago.  Divorce, new job, buried my beloved furball, major medical crisis.  All that was just in the last 2yrs.  Obviously, the lead up to the divorce was going on for several years (mid 2010, but who's counting) and when he abandoned the marriage for his version of greener grass I realized I had been holding my breath for a very long time.  Watching someone self destruct is tough duty to be given.

One of the things that I learned after the divorce is that I really give a lot of emotional energy over to situations where I feel like I'm not being heard or that what I have to say isn't being respected.  You don't have to agree with me but you also should respect me enough to hear me out.  Of course, that's for people who are my friends and family.  Anything posted online to public sites has a different set of rules.  I figure that if I'm in your life then I deserve to be treated as if you enjoy me being in your life (another lesson from the divorce).

The last couple of years, I have really started to be aware of the people in my life who don't value my contribution to the relationship.  Some of those people are new friends, some of them are long term friends and some of them are family members.  I don't know who I'm more disappointed in, myself for allowing any new people into my life who don't appreciate me or those long term friends who think they can treat me like I'm disposable.

I see this in society around me, especially during this presidential season.  There is this idea that if someone doesn't agree with you that you can then treat them as if they are not worth common courtesy.  It's distressing.  Some of the nicest people in my world turn into huge creeps when there is a clash of opinions.  

All this to say:  be nice to one another.  When someone you know and love says something that makes you want to rip your hair out, remember that your opinion likely makes them want to do the same and how would you like them to treat you?  If you treat them like that?  You've made your contribution to making the world a better place for everyone.