Reflections On Being Wronged

"I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him."

 Booker T. Washington

 

It is difficult in actuality, but most rational people agree that hate is a acrimonious & antagonistic poison. When I think of hatred, I think of Hitler & the Nazi concentration camps, or the horrifying violence heaped upon African- Americans by the Ku Klux Klan & of course the Christian Right attempting to destroy gay peoples' lives. As horrifying as it is that these victims of hatred had to endure such evil, the biggest victim of hatred is the hater.

Hate & resentment can tear you apart. If you have been wronged & hold resentment towards someone, you need to forgive that person. I have been hurt so unjustly that the thought of letting that person off the hooked seem more than I could handle,& bitterly blameworthy. The problem is, by holding resentment, you are not punishing that person, but hurting yourself. Do you realize that the person you resent most likely thinks of you as shit or doesn’t give you consideration whatsoever? It’s extremely unlikely that your resentment is harming that person in any way, shape, or form. I guarantee, however, that holding on to hate or resentment, is poisoning your life.

I forgive people who have wronged me, not to be a goody-2-shoes or to let the asshole off the hook, but to free myself of the venom inside of me that is tainting & trashing my own inner life.  If I can actually release that resentment in my life & free myself to be the person I can be, I may start enjoying the life I have.

If all else fails, & I am still holding in the poison feelings, well then, I try a little revenge. It can be very tasty if I am creative & careful. I have been very creative & what a pretty picture it did make. But, I attempt to take the high road, really.