It's the unexpected that changes our lives.
Image source: Pixabay
Yesterday I got some upsetting news regarding someone that I thought I knew. I can not say we were friends, more like acquaintances. I dealt more with his parents than with him. Though, each time we ran into each other, once in couple of years, this person was always nice to me and made a good impression.
You can imagine my surprise when I heard that he had been accused for certain crimes and sent to jail. I was convinced there was a misunderstanding. That we were talking about a different person, wearing the same name. I could not believe that he could have been capable of all of those things! Nor that he got convicted!
How can a person flip a switch and turn into someone else? It's strange how we can think that we know someone and then we realize that we knew nothing. That our version of the truth regarding that person had nothing to do with the reality.
I only knew fragments of his life, bits of his ideas and some stories from his childhood he shared during our conversations. All these are not enough to fully know anyone, as people constantly change.
It all seemed like a movie script. The type of scenario that leaves you speechless when you see the plot unfolding. My mind had a hard time accepting the facts. To be honest, until late in the night, I was expecting my phone to ring and have someone telling me that it was all a prank.
Unfortunately it was a sad reality! The bad news were more shocking for me than for others, as I was the only one who did not know all the facts. That's because I don't gossip and I believe that there's good in everyone.
I wondered what must have determined him to act in such way, be so irresponsible, so careless? Since I did not know much about his life, all I could come up were assumptions. We see life in different ways and each one of us follows his own path. I hope his one would get smoother and he'll find his inner light!
I like to believe that any kick in the ass is a step forward. That any rejection or slap in the face is a re-direction towards something better. Some lessons are harder to learn and take longer than others. Maybe this what had happened to him? Maybe he needed to loose everything and find himself?
We all have ups and downs. We all go through hell at a certain moment, but we don't stop there. I know a lot of good folks who went through terrible things only to get stronger, to come out of it wiser and happier.
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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave your feedback in the comments,
I would love to hear your thoughts!
Some people just make the wrong decision. That does not mean that they are bad people. On the other side there are bad people who will never change or see the error in the things they did or do. There is a difference. Hopefully it will work out in the long run.
I am convinced that it will work out for him, that things will get better. Sometimes even when we take the wrong decisions, we are given second and third chances.
I believe that. It is up to us to take that second chance. It might even result in a hard road to do, but it can be done and I know a few who have overcome and prevailed.
It is odd to think about how little we know other people sometimes. Even the people I'm closest to have so much of them that only they know. I am an odd one in that there are things about myself that I have done that I still don't remember myself, so I have this detached kind of relationship with my own past at times. I guess I'm fortunate that none of my mistakes have landed my in trouble of a legal sort. I don't think I would deal well.
You write a very thought provoking post, though!
The whole situation got me thinking about a lots of things. I know couples that lived together for decades and still knew close to nothing about each other. Thus, what can I say about an acquaintance?
It's crazy how much there is to a person, so Yeah... I guess there is always going to be something. I get on these thought 'trails' sometimes and end up in the weirdest places, thinking about people and how very complex we all are!
Every person is a universe, it's impossible to really know someone and our mind has the bad habit of trying to fill the blanks sometimes for the worst and sometimes for the best, but one thing is always true, it's just our imagination. Being disappointed sucks, I hope you are doing okay :)
Thanks for sharing!
I am fine, thank you! This wasn't about me because I am not in position to judge anyone. I did experienced a bit of mixed feelings but disappointment wasn't one of them. ;)
The heart is deceitful above all things. Who can understand it? (Jeremiah 17:9)
The truth is, we're all capable of great deeds--good and bad. We can often surprise ourselves in a moment of rash decision, when things get tough, when stress is high and emotions are hot. Then we do things we never thought we'd do. So do others. It's shocking, but the human spirit is a frail thing.
I think you can never know a person entirely. Especially because they are constantly making decisions you can't really foresee. I like the view you shared at the end. I like to see every challenge as a way towards something positive
Each day brings something new to learn about us or the others. It's a challenge to get better and improve yourself. That's how I see things!
sometimes people act the way they do because they do not know better.
This is why we much choose to see the good in them and love them unconditionally. God definitely has a plan for them, that show of unconditional good loving can save a life.
There is a bigger plan for all of us, we are just ponds.
In my opinion, it is normal to have a certain impression about somebody at face value. I think it's sad that the circumstances are what they are... but, this may come at a time in your life where you also had to learn a lesson, I think it may be otherwise if you didn't feel the need to write about it.
My kind regards.
You are absolutely right about it!
Sometimes not know about someone's past and then being suddenly surprised is jarring. We wonder why we did not know!
I hope the best for this person. And I hope that you can find peace in the situation.
I recently learnt from his family that his mind was in a good place which is good. He will be fine, I am sure of it.