This is to piggyback of the other post I shared.

I was an ostracized kid. I had a weird cough when my asthma acted up, and I was too much, and I was ‘off’ compared to the other kids my age, and I just didn’t fit in, and still to this day I’m not exactly sure why, and shit, at 37 years old I’m just now finding my place in this world and owning it. Which may have been a big part of the problem, I tried way too hard to fit in and I just don’t fit in, I stand out, and honestly, that’s the best part about me.

And if I would have walked in and shot up a school that would have been my fault, and not the fault of the kids who knew I didn’t fit in. Yeah, they were assholes for talking behind my back and making fun of me and making sure I knew that I wasn’t wanted and wasn’t good enough, but being nice has NOTHING to do with violence and gun safety and keeping guns out of someones hands.

And including people who make you uncomfortable isn’t your job.

There’s a fine line between accepting someone who is different, and expecting people to be close to someone who they are uncomfortable around to keep them from doing something harmful to themselves or others. That’s not your job.

Don’t talk about people behind their backs (venting when your feelings are hurt is one thing, but theres’ a line were it crosses to making fun of someone), tell people if they upset you, and help them learn to be better or do better if you have the emotional energy to do that, otherwise drop it. But you don’t have to be around someone who isn’t your type of person.

(oh, and fuck you all who made me feel like shit when I was in school, and especially fuck you who joined in on charades while we’re at it)