With all this connecting technology (myspace, facebook, text, email) readily available to us we are starting to reconnect with those millions of individuals that we thought were just passing through our lives back in the day. Back in the day, you thought this or that of the person. Maybe you loved em, maybe you liked em, maybe you wanted them to mark the "yes" box in the arrow shaped letter you wrote them in math class. Maybe you wanted to really bust out of Home Economics and scream I love you Spacey Stacy bacy lacy fafacy. But you never did. Now we're all grown up and able to reconnect with these lost (or so we thought) attractions. I've been able to connect with a few through Myspace and more recently, Facebook. At first it's all praise, and smiles, and great words of fondness, and wonderful memories. I was even able to share some true feelings with those people that I would have never had the courage to say when I was in high school. While the sentiment for the most part was reciprocated, the underlying feelings were that this person was someone I truly wanted in my life (back in the day), but now he/she is nothing more than a smidge above a stranger I met today. I don't know the grown up you. The mother you. The role model you. The serious you. The sensitive you. The broken hearted you. The evicted you. The dad left me and my child you! I just know I used to love talking to you. Staring at you. Thinking of you. Day dreaming "what if" about you. But when I've had the chance to sit down and spend a lil time with some of them, it's been like ugh!! What the flip! You're not who I remember. You're not who I thought you were! You're not............. You! And in all actuality, you are you. You are the grown up version. You are the adult version. You are the "life has taken its toll on me" person. You are the single parent person. The F the world person. And we judge that person in the split second simply because we knew them prior to this meeting. We never went out before, but now we go out and I can't stand you because I remember that you were a boat load of fun. All "shits and giggles" (pardon my Austin Powers British humor). That's what I remember. Not this person in front of me, 30 lbs heavier, wearing poorly applied make up, smoking a newport , and looking tired from a 10 hour workday. Who is this imposter? It's no imposter, but since I knew her prior, I decided to judge her, instead of giving her the same just due that I would give a complete stranger. Even though this person in front of me, really is a stranger to me, as I am to her. Is it fair? Is it right? I'm gonna say no. Emphatically I'm going to say NO!! I should expect change from you. I should expect life to have molded you into something, just as it has me. I just want a take on why we hold so tight to an image or thought that is 10 years old and get mad when what's in front of you has 10 years of life added to it? Well I'm going to apologize for judging. If I met you today, I would accept all of your "flaws", all of your "differences", all of.... well, I would accept you as you are. I would accept all of you. Simply put. I myself have been judged because I was that fun and games dude back in the day. I was that guy that would have you leave my presence jaws, stomach, and head hurting because I had you laughing the whole time. Now I'm a much more serious individual. Hardened by adulthood events. Serious about mine, and focused on mine more than yours. I'm still that funny kid at heart, but my exterior is now coated with 3 coats of Life Lacquer! So I apologize for my harsh criticism. I apologize for not taking some time to listen. I apologize for not being more sympathetic. I apologize for not realizing, hey, this is the same person that I was very fond of, just more experienced and probably dealing with some of the same life issues that I am. And I should expect them to be maybe not as much fun. Cause hell, I know I'm not as much fun as that 15 year old who only cared about sports and math running around Inglewood!! HAHAHA. Good times!!!
speak on it yall!! I need a take on this one.