I've been struggling with something for a while now. Let's see if any of you have a similar problem. Years ago, about 24 years ago to be exact, somebody was very mean to me. Flat-out rude. In front of quite a few people - some of whom took up for me and tried to right the situation. Thank goodness for those people, because I didn't end up thinking that the entire room hated me. Twenty-four years? How would that affect me still? ......you might ask.
Here's the deal. I imagine myself coming in contact with that person in the present. (It could happen, although chances are it won't.) Instead of imagining my gracious self saying "Oh, I remember you, hello!" I scheme and pet my cat, a' la Dr. Evil, and dream up ways to tell the whole imaginary crowd that they were very mean to me in the past and don't deserve my attention now.
My heart knows, however, that such a reaction would be wrong, immature and against everything I teach and try to live. I really don't think I have it in me to confront anyone in that way, no matter how I feel inside. I could probably type it, from the comfort of my own home, constructing all the phrasing to show me in the best light, them in the worst.......oh wait, that sounds so familiar.
Maybe we all have a past incident that we would love to re-visit in today's time, just to show "I was right" or "You were wrong" or "Look where I am now!" I suppose it's human nature. In reality though, we need to remain gracious and kind. I have stalked the mean person from my past and seen them in family pictures, having fun, looking oh so nice. I suppose I could change my heart and be my sweet self if ever a chance meeting happened again. Thinking about payback is amusing, but in real life, I vote for being nice, all the time.
