Sometimes life comes at you in unexpected ways.
Sometimes straight on. You see it coming. You are either ready or not, but there it is.
Sometimes from the back…you never see it coming and it knocks the wind right fucking out of you.
Sometimes from the side. Sort of on an angle that you see coming, but in the back of your mind you still think there may be a way around it or that it will straighten itself out and you won’t have to deal.
The latter is what this post is about.
I like to think that I am a pretty good person. I am happy, trusting, loving, sometimes funny. I give people the benefit of the doubt right from the beginning, because I really truly believe that most people are good.
That being said, not all people are good. To themselves, or others. Some people do things that are totally out of character for reasons we probably don’t know about. Sometimes regardless of what we want, we get dragged into a situation that is definitely going to end badly, whichever way it goes.
This was one of those situations.
I can’t get into the details. That makes it hard to blog about.
I just had to write something. Because that’s what I do to feel better. Better about stuff that had to be done. Even when the done has a huge ripple effect. And a lot of that ripple will hit people that don’t deserve to be blindsided by someone they love.
Sometimes doing the right thing. Feels bad.
Sometimes you have no choice. Your integrity and your values are on the line.
Sometimes when you see people you have come to love and care about being used and taken advantage of, the part that feels bad needs to be put aside. You need to just do what’s right and stop thinking about it and weighing the odds.
Good always wins. Honor always wins. Honesty always wins.
Sometimes when someones else’s bad judgment ripples out and touches you uninvited, you have to stand up. You have to say something. You have to stop being bullied, or scared or worried about what will happen after you step up.
This was one of those times.
I am sad. I am relieved it is over. I am reminded that life isn’t always a box of chocolates…
People will do things that make no sense, sometimes people close to you…sometimes people you barely know. There is always ripple. Sometimes it takes a while to figure out the best way to deal with the ripple, sometimes it just disappears before it gets to you…but if it smashes right up against you, and you are pushed to the wall, sometimes you have to take a stand. Do what’s right and hope that everyone else can pick up the pieces after its crumbled.
Sometimes it takes time to recover from the ripple effect. While you work through it all, you have to remember that getting busted for doing something shitty, is never going to go smoothly. No matter what part of it you are involved with, a willing participant or not.
You will never win taking the low road. Being narcissistic enough to think you will never get caught because people are intimidated by you, or like you, or just couldn’t be bothered…is naive.
Using me to get something that isn’t rightfully yours is a big mistake. As is having an attitude that nothing can touch you.
Sometimes, that touch is a bitch-slap.
Hopefully one that will make you think about what you’ve done. Work through your mistake, make it right…and carry on with life with more integrity. With more consciousness of how your actions are going to impact your family, your friends, your coworkers…literally every one in your life.
Sometimes…when the day feels dark and sad, you have to hang on to the hope that a light will shine and growth will come from the lesson learned.
You have to grab the light, whether it is the pride of standing up for what’s right, hope that things can change for the better or the knowledge of helping someone you love when wrong is being done.
Sometimes courage is hard.
The right thing can feel bad.
And Karma is a bitch.
Sometimes…you just have to trust that The Universe and your friends have your back and do the right thing.
*just a ps….I wrote this blog post a few months ago. The situation didn’t warrant me posting it at the time. It’s all over and all good, but I felt the need to post it now, just because.