Hello and welcome back to another round of Random Thoughts from yours truly. It's been somewhat eventful since the last blog entry, so I'm back with more things to share. With that in mind, let's get to it. Enjoy.
- In another step in this new beginning of mine, I've decided it's time to put behind me a troublesome chapter in my life that started a little less than a year ago with a mildly controversial blog. I'm not gonna talk about that blog in particular, but in closing this chapter I want to reflect on some of what has happened since I wrote it. For a few months I had to keep to myself and regain my bearings because all the stuff that happened really threw me for a loop. I had the impression that some people felt the exact same way one particular person did and I lumped them together as one group whenever I described them. Around Christmastime of last year, events occurred that led me to question how I was handling all this which I talked about in the "new beginning" entry on X-Mas itself. More specifically I wasn't sure whether or not I made a mistake in believing that this one person's opinion reflected what the rest of the group truly felt. In the months following Christmas I got the chance to speak with some of them. It turns out I did make that mistake. On top of that, it turns out they didn't even know...and were surprised at...what this person said that caused me to react the way I did. I made the mistake in not talking to them individually about this when I should have, at least face to face soon after this stuff went down, and I ended up hurting them and making things more difficult for myself. I believe I've apologized in person to three of them for my actions...at least I think I did, but if not I am apologizing now publicly to them and at least one more here in today's blog. I don't think anybody knows how happy I am that the people I conversed with are now back in my life or how happy I am in not being right about that belief I held previously (hence the subject of this edition).
- I do have one more thing to say about this before this chapter closes on a separate yet somewhat related tangent. As a general rule I take people at their word and believe in the best in people. I put a lot of trust and faith in the people around me and those I meet including my friends, my family, and various other people as well. I am aware that I run the risk of potentially being burned, spurned, or even having some turn their back to me, but for good or ill that part of me will never change. Given that, whenever I perceive that risk becoming real I do my best to get away from those who plan or do such stuff to me the best I can. It can get sloppy and messy on my part because I'm not proficient in separating from those I put such a personal investment in. To be honest, I have no desire to be proficient at it because having such a proficiency is like having a drug habit...if you don't have it you don't do it, but if you do, you end up doing it more than you should. Take for example that particular person I mentioned in the last blurb. For a long time I thought I could put my trust and faith in this person and take them at their word. When all this stuff went down and it was all said and done, I ultimately realized I was mistaken in doing so. As a consequence that person lost my trust and friendship. Something my pastor talks to me about regularly is the changing of seasons...not seasons like spring or fall, but seasons as periods in our lives that aren't limited by a set amount of time. He would remind me that all seasons do naturally end at some point, though many seasons may last for decades or even longer. For example, the end of the friendship with that person I was talking about was the ending of a season. And now it is time for that season that started last June with a single blurb to end...time to move on and move forward from it.
- Sometimes I have the worst luck around Memorial Day weekend or even a day or two after. It doesn't happen often but when it does it's noticable (my freshman year at OSU comes to mind). This year something did happen...the place I've been hanging out at, Martini Park at Easton, closed its doors for good yesterday. Granted, it's not apocalyptic, but I was just starting to get used to the place and my friends were starting to go there themselves more regularly. That's two of my hangouts I've lost in the span of three months time (Martini Park and the OC)...just my luck, though my luck hasn't been the greatest lately anyway.
- Last Saturday night I did go out, this time to one of my old haunts, Screaming Willie's. For those of you who don't remember, it used to be known as Bourbon St. (the hip hop side still is) and Club Dance. It was just me and Al, but we kicked it old school (LOL). We had a decent time, though I feel bad that I told a couple women about Martini Park and now the place is closed.
- I love warm weather and 80's.
- Red, White, And BOOM (Columbus' Independence Day celebration) is on July 2nd this year, a Friday. If anybody's up for going this year, give me a buzz. I haven't done the fireworks thing with friends in years, so it might be something worth doing. Anybody up for it?
- As most of you regular readers know, I do something called "SLP" in my blogs. For those of you who do not know what it means, it stands for "Shoutouts, Love, and Props." It could be for anything from simple acknowledgements to full-blown hanging out. Someone asked me about it, so I thought since there's a lot of new people reading my blogs I'd better let them and anybody else know what it meant.
- Song on repeat: "Rock The Casbah" by The Clash. It's literally been the song I've had repeating on my music player.
- SLP to the following: Ernest, Holly, Walt (happy b-day), Dave, Jay, Ernest, Al, Griff, Angie & Jennifer (from Screaming Willie's), Dwight, Jennifer S. (happy b-day), Jim, Cheryl, Robert N., and Tony.
Right now I am typing this up while I'm really tired and a bit grumpy. Yes, I know it's the middle of the day, but that's how I feel right now. If some of what I wrote today comes off wordy, repetitive, or confusing, that's why. Anyway, I'd better go take a nap. I've got a new season to start and a new beginning to keep going. Until next time, folks. Take care and God Bless.
DJ
