Ranting. Sometimes You Just Gotta.

Alright cyberverse, I've got a rant for you. As a lot of you may know, I'm a girl. (Spoiler alert!)  I'm going to speak for all girls for a minute.  There are somethings that really creep us out.  There are many things men do that creep us out.  If you're a man, don't do this:


True Story:
I live in a town home community.  I love this community because its in a safe area, and there are always lots of people around.  I have a roommate.  I have a dog.  I like taking precautions to maintain my security.  Typical girl stuff.


My dog, Phoebe, is the best dog in the world.  She doesn't shed, she's super active, and she's super protective of me.  However, sometimes Pheebs needs to use the little girls' room before bed time.  I try to take her out before the sun goes down for security purposes, but sometimes she drinks too much water and needs an additional visit before we hit the sack.


Last night was one of those evenings where Miss Phoebe needed an extra potty break.  So I quickly walk outside with her.  There is a small grassy area one unit down from me.  I take her there for her "number two" visits.  


So Phoebe and I were over in the grass minding our own business, when suddenly Phoebe shoots her ears up and begins to growl.  Out of no where three drunk men (like fall over and vomit drunk) where right on us.  I'd heard someone talking down the street when I first got out there, but didn't think much of it.  Mistake number one.


One of these men was my neighbor.  I've never met this neighbor before this encounter.  I was needless to say, completely freaked.  The three middle-aged men stumbled over to introduce themselves.  One also points out my house and says, "You live there right?"  That's just awesome.


Keep in mind, its also about 10:30 pm.  I'm a girl.  I'm alone.  It's super dark outside.  My dog is growling and barking up a storm.  Why would I want to make casual conversation in a scenario like this?  I'm sure the men meant no harm, but seriously?  Think about how I was approached.  


The next thing I do is grab Phoebe, because she's about to attack at this point. (Even my dog knows it's not cool to surprise a girl in the dark like that.)  I just stand frozen.  The men are about 8 feet away.  I smile and try to remain calm.  Next, the gentlemen decide they want to pet my foaming at the mouth dog.  Genius.  They start to close in on me.  I back up and try to keep the conversation light.  


Fortunately, at the perfect moment, my other neighbor hears my dog having a fit and turns her back light on.  This scares the men, and they slowly back off (which makes their intentions look even more sketchy than before).  I take this opportunity to wish them a good evening and jet inside. 


Of course, now I'm totally freaked out.  I tell my roommate about it.  She's weirded out too.  So the rest of the evening I sit on the couch ready for them to return, and doze in and out of consciousness until the sun comes up.  Thanks creepy drunk men.  You're a lot of fun.


Hope you enjoyed my rant.  I also hope you men learned something.  Don't be that guy.  That guy sucks.

Something To Work On

I've often caught myself looking at others with judgement.  We've all done it.  The skanky girl in the restaurant or the sloppy drunk guy in public.  When I do catch myself in the act of looking down on people, I then reflect on all of the failures of my own life.


I'm a filthy sinner.  It's so easy to say that.  It's so easy to nonchalantly "admit" you have issues  in passing to appear "humble."  It's a totally other thing to stop looking at people like they are beneath you.


I've been blessed to have many great friends in my life.  A lot of them have had heartbreak, family problems, and multiple other disasters that life tends to bring the best of us.  I've watched people fall down and give up during crises that seem too difficult to bare.  Knowing their situations, I would never imagine placing judgement on them.  So why do it to strangers?


Everyone has issues.  Everyone has fallen down.  Everyone has done through self-destructive scenarios.  That girl in the restaurant with her boobs hanging out of her blouse is acting a certain way for a certain reason.  That guy that can't even walk ten steps without falling over due to inebriation has seen tough times at some point in his life.  You just don't know what people are going through.


Even if you do know the majority of a bad situation in someone's life, you still can't know exactly how it feels to be in their shoes.  Everyone is different.  Everyone has unique thoughts and emotions.  Only God knows all the ins and outs of things.


I've made life altering mistakes.  I've felt like I couldn't return to life as I know it.  I've failed miserably.  I've seen people judge me.  I've seen those condescending glances.  I've caught wind of those "we should pray for her" gossip sessions.  It's no fun.  It'll make you bitter.  It'll make you hate.  It'll make you fail again.


I've also seen understanding.  I've seen empathy.  I've seen genuine care and concern.  These things helped me pick myself back up.  It helped me forgive myself.  It helped me move forward.  It built up my confidence.


I guess what it comes down to is, do I want to encourage further failure or encourage self-actualization? (Like the Maslow reference? Yeah, this chick went to college.)  It's something I'm working on.  There's always something.