Words That Don't Wash Away
I had a few friends back in my youth... they were friends that were closer than family members. I think everyone has some of these at some point in their life. The kind of people you trust in some ways more than you trust yourself, definitely their opinion of you can make or break you. I think it's kind of ironic that most people probably have these (or develop) friendships when they're most vulnerable in life, like pre-teen years, when your opinion of yourself is wrapped so entirely around those you're closest to. I had a few of those friends in my youth...
I had a few friends in my youth... they were friends that I was cautious about. I only trusted them so far and in the end I was very glad I never let them past a certain point. At a point in life you reach a certain scrutiny in the human race. (Atleast I did). It isn't that everyone is bad, it's that everyone has the potential to be and the possibility of them betraying you is enough to keep them at a safe distance. But, when they do betray you you realize you can't ever keep people as friends and keep them far enough away to stop any possibility of it hurting you.
Where the title of this blog comes in is I stopped wanting to hear people's opinions. Because I've heard enough words that don't wash away. People don't realize how powerful the things they say to people, even in a rash moment, and that some words can't be dismissed.
Both sets of friends said things to me in the end of the friendships that have stuck with me and have affected how I live my life and the way I conduct myself in relationships professional and personal. How could they not? The type of words that replay in your head. Mean.
I used to be more careless with words, also. I'm sure I've been a friend to someone and said something at sometime that has stuck with them the same way these words have stayed with me. And I'm sorry for that. I only hope they have been able to let them go better than I have. I, unfortunately, have a very good memory for little details... this apparently applies.
But you have to balance the affect. Try not to over compensate for the things they have said, not to make decisions in life just to prove their words wrong. Although I'm never sure you can completely not let it affect you. I don't know that I'll ever know if the decisions I make in life would be the same had I had supportive friends, loyal friends, friends that were forgiving, any friends that were genuine.
I had a few friends in my youth... they were friends that I was cautious about. I only trusted them so far and in the end I was very glad I never let them past a certain point. At a point in life you reach a certain scrutiny in the human race. (Atleast I did). It isn't that everyone is bad, it's that everyone has the potential to be and the possibility of them betraying you is enough to keep them at a safe distance. But, when they do betray you you realize you can't ever keep people as friends and keep them far enough away to stop any possibility of it hurting you.
Where the title of this blog comes in is I stopped wanting to hear people's opinions. Because I've heard enough words that don't wash away. People don't realize how powerful the things they say to people, even in a rash moment, and that some words can't be dismissed.
Both sets of friends said things to me in the end of the friendships that have stuck with me and have affected how I live my life and the way I conduct myself in relationships professional and personal. How could they not? The type of words that replay in your head. Mean.
I used to be more careless with words, also. I'm sure I've been a friend to someone and said something at sometime that has stuck with them the same way these words have stayed with me. And I'm sorry for that. I only hope they have been able to let them go better than I have. I, unfortunately, have a very good memory for little details... this apparently applies.
But you have to balance the affect. Try not to over compensate for the things they have said, not to make decisions in life just to prove their words wrong. Although I'm never sure you can completely not let it affect you. I don't know that I'll ever know if the decisions I make in life would be the same had I had supportive friends, loyal friends, friends that were forgiving, any friends that were genuine.
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