G
Guest
Guest
Some of us have invested a lot of time and energy developing friendships, and in some cases, relationships on this board. We recognize that while we may never meet these people face to face, or skin to skin, they have an impact on us. They're real in every sense of the word, and they're part of our lives. Even though, sometimes, they're worlds apart from us.
Some of them are people we never would have met in real life, taken the time to get to know, and become intimate with. Some of them are like little splinters of ourselves.
There's still a missing piece though. No matter how well you know someone, you can't know everything about them. You can't know what goes on behind the scenes, so to speak. You have to take what they say at face value, process it based on your own experiences, predjudices, and values, and accept or discard it.
Some of my friends are admirably open. They trust with almost childlike abandon. They are open and caring and giving in ways I could never be. I watch them open themselves up, time and again, and I alternate between cringing in anticipation of them getting burned, and hoping that this time, they won't be.
Some of my friends are more like me. They take everything with a grain of salt. They're willing to offer advice and help to those who truly need it and are willing to at least absorb the effort, but they're not usually going to be the first in line to offer hugs and snuggles and hearts.
I'll freely admit that I'm cynical. That I question people's motives almost constantly. It's the way I am, and I'm comfy with me.
My friendly advice for the day is... before you trust, before you open yourself to the opportunity to be hurt, especially in a place as public as this one, do your research. Look at past posts, talk to your friends, think about how this person interacts with others, as well as who they interact with. You're never just becoming involved with an individual, you're becoming involved with a group of people. Do you trust your friend's friends?
Some of them are people we never would have met in real life, taken the time to get to know, and become intimate with. Some of them are like little splinters of ourselves.
There's still a missing piece though. No matter how well you know someone, you can't know everything about them. You can't know what goes on behind the scenes, so to speak. You have to take what they say at face value, process it based on your own experiences, predjudices, and values, and accept or discard it.
Some of my friends are admirably open. They trust with almost childlike abandon. They are open and caring and giving in ways I could never be. I watch them open themselves up, time and again, and I alternate between cringing in anticipation of them getting burned, and hoping that this time, they won't be.
Some of my friends are more like me. They take everything with a grain of salt. They're willing to offer advice and help to those who truly need it and are willing to at least absorb the effort, but they're not usually going to be the first in line to offer hugs and snuggles and hearts.
I'll freely admit that I'm cynical. That I question people's motives almost constantly. It's the way I am, and I'm comfy with me.
My friendly advice for the day is... before you trust, before you open yourself to the opportunity to be hurt, especially in a place as public as this one, do your research. Look at past posts, talk to your friends, think about how this person interacts with others, as well as who they interact with. You're never just becoming involved with an individual, you're becoming involved with a group of people. Do you trust your friend's friends?
