Two

People who know me may know that I am always really appreciative if I am given something, be it an actual item or even a simple act of kindness. What they probably don’t know is why.

For a long time I have never revealed this, because people may think that I am too cynical. But you can’t just keep things bottled up. I have tried, but things like this fester, growing and eating at you and your psyche. So I write it out. Sometimes I publish these thoughts. More often I don’t. What will be the fate of this one? Right now I have no idea…

In these now four decades of life, I have learned many things, both for good or for ill. One of the more… realist things I have learned and taken to heart is this:

 NEVER expect anything from anyone.

 You are not entitled to anything- you have to earn it yourself. Don’t think that the goodness of others will bail you out. Never count on people to return favors. I have no expectations of people ever paying me back, it’s all pretty much written off. Once I adopted this philosophy, life became far less disappointing. But despite this, I will still go out of my way to help others, being as giving and as generous as I can be. Just because many choose not to give doesn’t mean I have to do the same.

 So when someone does give me something, I am truly touched. It could mean that they too see fit to fight the inherent selfishness of humanity. Maybe they realize that we’re all we got. Could be that while they know we as humans have to make our own happy ending, it never hurts to offer a little assistance along the way. Or maybe it’s just not a big deal to give… to share. And I find that one of the best reasons of all, and I look forward to the day when I am not surprised to receive anything. Until that day I will continue on this path.

 I thank you for reading.