Quote:
Originally Posted by Ruari
I think it's good to remember that people who are hurting hurt other people. Someone told me that once and I was like, "Well, that sounds trite and silly." But it's true. Think of the times when you just lashed out at someone for nothing: how did you feel at the very root of it all? I can definitely say that any time I've been a truly horrid person to someone else, I've been dying inside. And I've dealt with some really unpleasant people who have been just beaten down by life. I'm not saying they're easy to deal with or that you should necessarily put up with someone being mean, but the math teacher I talked about before was a single mother whose ex-husband had abruptly walked out on her and her daughter to move in with his secretary right about the time I was her student. I found out about that by listening to the parents of my friends talking. Don't know how they knew.
Anyway. Humans have a great capacity for destruction, but we are also capable of great compassion. I am working on that (not always easy).
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I had a graphics art teacher who had a similar situation in the middle of the school year. I remember she was physically upset in class and word got around as to what happened and we all felt sorry for her. She was an awesome teacher. Dedicated. No nonsense. I checked up on my school in this rate your teacher site and she's still teaching graphic arts. (I loved that class.) She never took out her bad days on us. She was almost strangely the same mood all the time. Gave praise and criticism where you needed it. Didn't let you lag on your work. Any class having to do with creative arts I always relished and spent as much time as possible in. It was a refuge to get away from the jerks. And then some real big brutes enrolled the following year. They would come up to me and tell me my artwork sucked because everyone else was gushing about mine. I didn't care what THEY thought. Rumor had it that one of them was abusive to his girlfriend and he was so offensive to everyone. He was actually kinda scary.
I try to be nice to everyone. Even with walls up, I still warm up to people. But I find once I offer my number to them they never call me, and sometimes never see them again. I then start questioning their sincerity with their friendship towards me. I usually can't call them because they won't offer their to me or tell me they only text. Or, in one case, give me a number that's not in service or never used and always has their voice mail full. I just don't get it. I have a few acquaintances, some well-wishers, and occasionally talk to other parents.