Friendship Presents

One way to piss off the friendliest person in the world
Is to call their friends stupid.

People are like pieces of paper.
You can choose to beautify and hold onto them like a sacred prayer scroll,
Or you can use them as gum wrappers and throw them away.

When you reach a certain age,
It becomes time to be more selective with who you want to include in your life,
Especially if you have a history of people treating you less than adequately.

At one point, it was possible to think about being the most popular kid in school
With everyone as your friend,
But would you rather have 100 shards of diamond
Or one large stone?

When people from the past come creeping back and seeking a second chance,
It’s wise to stare with a watchful eye
To ensure no shots are fired.

Recently,
I went to the beercade with my best friends and wanted to revisit an old friend from high school who I hadn't seen in awhile.
We were all going to hang out afterwards,
But an honest mistake and miscommunication happened,
Causing the plans to fail.

He called me from a number I didn’t recognize because his phone battery died.
I asked who’s calling me and he responded with a condescending tone.
Strike 1.
I explained the situation and apologized. He yelled at me and called me stupid.
Strike 2.
I explained the situation a second time with clarification. He called my friends stupid.
Strike 3.
The three strikes and you’re out rule took shape.

I’ve been called stupid enough times for my own good,
But like the protagonist character in the cartoons would say,
“You can hurt me, but you can never hurt my friends”.
And in a flash, I turned into a ghost,
For this person to never find a trace of me.

It is time to put my foot down
As I am done accepting dung wrapped in present boxes from the naysayers.
No one deserves less than love.
Choose your crew wisely!