Hypocritical me.

Today it suddenly hit me that the lessons we learn as kids aren't taught to us because adults hate us and want us to have no fun... they actually have substance to them. Now, don't get me wrong, parents probably have those times when they miss those carefree days and, just to comfort themselves, take advantage of their powers to make us completely miserable. But most of the time, they're probably just trying to make our lives easier because they've totally been there.

Take the golden rule for example. I'm starting to realize more and more what that means.. It's not about you getting what you want from someone else, it's about having character. Who wants to be the kind of person who talks crap (gossip! - see there? another lesson from childhood) about someone and make that poor person, who can't even be there to defend themselves, the butt of everyone's jokes?

I don't want to be that person anymore. I usually find when I spend my time judging and making fun of someone, "karma," you could say, comes and slaps me in the face with a slice of humble pie. In one instance in particular, I did almost the exact same thing one of my friends did, after weeks of making fun of her for it.. And judging her in my heart because I just KNEW that was a mistake I'd NEVER make.

And now I've caught myself being judgmental again.. Going along with the crowd & even though this person has only shown me kindness, I've been backstabbing her and JUSTIFYING it by thinking to myself, "Well, I would NEVER do that!" Did I not learn my own lesson? Whether I plan on making that decision or not, I have no right to judge or let alone completely use that person's past experiences for my own good time.

I am completely disgusted with myself for not standing up for her and for other people who are so frequently joked about.. If I don't stand up for them, who will? And who will stand up for me? And why would I even think I deserved to be stood up for?

Everyone reserves the right to privacy. And if they've chosen to let someone know something, they deserve the common decency to not have others make fun of them at their expense.

Compassion and humility is something I need to start striving for.