Ewwww! Get Away From Me!

From a conversation explaining my own bad self

I ask:

“Look, you can have hundreds of acquaintances and seem popular, but does that outweigh a few good friends you've known for decades?”

No answer so I inject.

“Not by a longshot” I say.

I was telling a few people of my “don't get your soiled life on me!” philosophy. In short and in metaphor, if you are crawling with tics, fleas, smallpox and other vermin, I don't want you near me. I don't want someone's fucked up life splattering on mine. Oh...and YOU have seen this all the time haven't you? I ain't just spouting crap here.

Examples of infectious people?

Alcoholics, druggies, alcoholic-druggies, people who can't count money nor use it properly, add to that those who don't know how to balance a checkbook, anyone who says “It was just a short term in prison,” mental cases, anyone who may appear on Judge Judy, white trash, black trash, Hispanic trash, Asian trash. Oh who else? Thieves, expert liars, manipulators, wannabee tough guys, wannabe Einsteins and those who can claim they've moved seven times in the past year...do you get my point?

I detest instability, especially when it's slopped on me by someone else. I'm still from the Old School of manners and spilling your life on someone else is a major faux pas. But guess what, no one cares about etiquette now. Regular life imitates a frat party nowadays. Spilling your red beer cup onto someone because you can't control yourself is the norm.

I'm not 100% perfect but the cited examples above aren't part of my life...and hopefully never.

You know what this does also, being selective? It removes about 80% of the people I may run into in my life. Good riddance!

I overheard this once and had to comment.

“He's 23, living at home and has been in and out of rehab. He's smashed up two cars. He won't find a job and to top it off, he calls his mother a bitch if she complains in the slightest.”

I spin around and interject, “Oh God, I'm glad I'm not that kid's parent. That's what I want out of life, to pay $20,000 for failed rehab, to buy cars and to beg out of a conversation when other parents are lauding their own kid's successes.”

“That's insensitive!” I'm told.

“Maybe, but do YOU want to be this kid's parent?”

Silence. Of course there's no answer.

“If you want to be a Savior, go adopt a crack baby, tell me how great you feel in about six months.”

I used to work in social services if you can believe it...

But guess what we did in social services, for the human wrecks that came our way. We were like Ebola Dr's, covered head to toe in environmental suits. We made damn sure there was some professional distance between us and them. You DON'T get their diseases or their lives ON you. You can help and care for them without, in a sense, french kissing them. That's how you help AND keep their infected lives off of you.

All the above seem strident? You're right! Wonder where I got this sort of shrill attitude? I was in the past, a few times, too near those whose lives were nothing but shit-wagons and yep, I was besmirched.

That taught me a lesson I heard time and again but I never did take to heart until I put myself through unnecessary grief: 

"If you lay down with dogs, you wake up with fleas"

Semi White Trash Couple Enjoying a Weekend?

In reality. This was from the Executioner's Song, depicting Nicole Barrett's life turning to shit because of Gary Gilmore, who in time, was executed by firing squad by the State of Utah.

So, come on over! Have a few beers...They're reaall nice people!