Life After Being Played...

   Sometimes I get into pretty deep conversations with my friends. Not too long ago I was speaking to a certain friend whom I haven't heard from in some time.  "I've not seen you on Facebook much lately", I stated, "is everything alright"?  Almost immediately he responded with a string of profanities which were directed at a certain "lady" whom he felt had "played him".  He went on about how the relationship began as a friendship but later developed into something more; or so he felt, and before long he had invested not only his time but his money into her to some extent.  Unfortunately the relationship ended rather abruptly leaving him with the feeling of being used.  (Personally, I believe that his pride was hurt more than anything else because my friend is no novice to life and is at the age where one may feel that they have seen all of the many ways in which one can be played and they are now the teacher).  I listened intently to his story until he had satisfactorily expressed his frustrations to me.  And then I spoke;

   "Who has not been played at one time or another in their life"? It is, in fact, a part of life because there will always be those who will be looking for new ways to get something for free.  They may have beat you out of your hard earned money, they may have cleverly abducted your property, or maybe it was you who drove them around town all day in the hot, scorching sun as they ran their errands only to be given a crumpled $5.00 bill as you let them off at their home at the end of the day. And how about the "I'll pay you back when my Income Tax check comes"? Well, you know how that ends.  Oh, and don't forget the greatest robbery...matters of the heart.  So he/she took your love, (as you also took theirs). You became intimate, perhaps more than once, and the next thing you know you are no longer an item.  All of the plans the two of you spoke of before during the sex and pillow talk are now a fading memory.  But life does go on, doesn't it?

  Years ago I learned a saying that has helped me through many a game I had been involved in which is, "The best form of revenge is success".  Our lives are constantly filled with lessons learned; both good and bad, but if you live long enough you will find that the good and bad will balance out somehow, but only if you do not allow yourself to wallow in self-pity for getting played or allow yourself to become high-minded when you come out on top of a situation. Albert Camus said it best:  
"The evil that is in the world almost always comes of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence if they lack understanding."  (read it again until you can comprehend it).

  I am a much better person when I am doing good; regardless as to whether the same behavior is reciprocated unto me.  I feel sorry for people who are always angry, stressed, calculating, mistrusting of everyone and anything, mean. When we come to realize that we have brought nothing into this world and will not take any of it when we leave it we will re-evaluate how we conduct our daily business; both externally and internally.  

 So, my friend, let go of yester-year's pain, last winter's flop, that old ancient and brief relationship and stop revisiting the pain you felt from it on the people who love you today.  They had nothing to do with your old mistakes and neither should you any longer. 

  If we see with the proper eyes we will smile and find that we had a bit of fun along the way as we learned from life's lessons.

  Life is too short.

  I love you all,
  Dennis