Welcome to the first Gripe O' the Week for for the fiscal year beginning 2001. A little late yes, but hey, no one is perfect. This rant will be less laced with cusswords (sorry, Dennis Miller) than usual because this is an outpouring of feeling and not a general paragraph about how Susie overcharged me for my latte while she was getting her eyebrow pierced. Today I am talking about how in the hell people can be as cruel as they are, concerning how they will interact with you in a friend-like fashion, then seemingly drop off the face of the earth. I am used to it as it has happened to me my entire life, where people will just stop talking to me because apparently I am not cool enough to hold their prolonged interest. Now I am not bashing friendship, because that is arguably one of the most important things in one's life, I am just pointing out how someone can be so heartless as to completely drop contact with me... er, someone else, without so much as a goodbye or even a smell-ya-later. It has happened a few times in the past month to me. (You know who you are.) I am not saying it doesn't happen to someone else; indeed, it happens to many peeps who do not deserve such a heinous deed committed toward them. In my case though, i am a nice enough guy, and try to treat everyone decently, especially when I first meet them. So where the hell do I go wrong?? Do I not comb my hair the right way or wear enough Abercrombie? How about my pits? Do they smell alright? Wait, I know. It's the way I talk, with my mouth open and such. That's it, right? The summary of this rambling piece of nothing is that I don't really know why. I just wish it wouldn't happen. And here is why: 1) "Deserting" people (which is essentially what happens in these situations) is extremely hurtful and inconsiderate to the person being deserted because if the 2 people have known each other long enough the person being deserted will most likely care a little bit about them and have concern for whether or not they are okay. 2) Deserting someone is essentially like giving up completely, which should not be done in ANY situation. Because if you can give up on something that easily you will not get very far in life. Well, maybe you will be able to procure the night-shift manager slot at Hardee's. But that's about it. Your life will be filled with Hardee's and the WWF, and wondering if your 7 kids are still playing outside the trailer. And if your boyfriend is banging the 16 year old in the adjacent trailer. 3) No. 4) What the hell kind of way is that to treat anyone? I have never deserted anyone in my life. I try to stay in contact with everyone (within reason) that I have met and had the pleasure to know in my life. I don't ask much in return, just that you treat me the same way. And if the time comes where you don't want to talk to me anymore, LET ME KNOW. (Again, you know who you are.) It still won't feel great, but it brings closure to the set so the ending credits can roll and everyone can move on to whatever is next for them.

Whew. Well, thanks for bearing with me as I let all that off. It is a change of pace from my usual gripes, and it will continue to be at the very most an occasional event. So stay tuned, I think a gripe about aardvarks is on tap for next week...

Labels: GOTW