Forgive and Move On

Right off the top, I forgive all the assholes who’ve ever crossed my path. As I understand it, opposites attract and so at some molecular level, they simply could not avoid interfering with my pursuit of happiness. This includes, but is not limited all those people, who upon a few seconds of meeting me, conclude that I’m a one-trick pony and the too-curious people who copped a feel of my dreadlocks without first asking my permission to touch me.

Next, I forgive all the jealous women who ever said catty things to me or did petty things against me because they were not honestly aware that the very things that they hated about me was what they wanted to possess for themselves.

And to be gender balanced, I forgive all the men who wished to control me because they liked me and did not know how to express that feeling without driving me away.

I also forgive all those pheromone-drenched men who drove me nuts once I got a whiff of them, but were not the least bit attracted to me.

I forgive all the horrible bosses who were somehow threatened by the fact that I have a much larger skill set than what they know what to do with. After all, I’ve known for some time that I need to be my own boss in order to have the freedom to use all of my talents.

I forgive all the friends and family who expect me to be the same person who I was years ago or even last week. I’m an adventurous person who would become utterly bored with life if I didn’t try out new things and that has an affect.

I forgive those people who think because I’m a strong person that I don’t have feelings.

Lastly, I forgive myself for:

• holding grudges long after an incident has past
•  causing myself to dwell in toxic situations thinking that I’d somehow “win” if I just managed to be the last one standing or get the last word
• being so self-absorbed in my wonderful life that I don’t take two seconds to ask the other person about him or herself
• beating myself up when some artistic or professional endeavor falls short the first few times I’ve tried
• looking at my reflection and seeing the flaws before seeing the attributes
• being consumed with anger and blocking the ideas of reasonable solutions
• needlessly worrying about the what ifs and not enjoying more of the have nows.

And I thank God for giving all that I have and my parents for teaching me how to see the humor in life and laugh away the blues.