IF WE ALL LIGHT UP WE CAN SCARE AWAY THE DARK...
It is comical when you consider the we throw tags around or identify with people. This is usually to our detriment when we discover that such tags are just useless. Then you begin to see the world in a different light or darkness, which rubs it of every potential goodness it might have.
My rule of thumb when dealing with people is to treat people the way I would want to be treated: with compassionate and understanding. I always try to put myself in the other person's shoes. Just imagine a world where everyone treated everyone else the same way they wanted to be treated. We would be livin' in utopia. Unfortunately, my faith in humanity is often lost when I encounter people who would afford me the same luxury. Events like this answer the question of inequality that exists in this world.
Another big truth I have discovered in life is that you will never know the value of a thing until it is been tested. I never knew the length I would go for sister until I lost her. I did things I was never capable of and I did them without flinching or a second thought--that was the surprising thing. The same applies to other types of relationship. You never know how much you care about something or someone until the said relationship is under some form of pressure. Yesterday was an intense moment between myself and my girlfriend. It is amazing how we could de-escalate a heated argument within a short period. In my previous relationships, this never used to be a thing. This goes to show the strength of our bond.
Defining people by one bad experience. This often happens in relationships where one bad event encapsulates an entire relationship that has been built for years. A couple of days ago i almost had issues with a fellow hiver who has been very supportive. I won't have this laptop i use today without his help. However, we got into a situation i felt almost created animosity between both of us and yes, the usual suspect--money--was at the hem of it all. Fortunately, i will able to meet my own end of our agreement and we've been able to move on. It would have gone sideways. Things like this always have a way of escalating. My personal belief is to always put people over material things, and i would never let it get in the way, i would rather put myself in a difficult position because i understand how easy it is for people to forget the good or pleasant experiences they've shared with you over one bad event.
It is also a personal responsibility on my part to see the good in people and yes it has often come back to bite me in the arse. However, it is such a draining thing seeing everyone as a suspect. There is so much evil in this world that it pays to show some good and i never take for granted any act of goodness. It is a rarity for people to be good because to be frank, it has landed a lot of people into trouble and like they say, 'once bitten, twice shy. i will not be fooled again', and so people go around being defensive about everything.
Any act of goodness is a seed and most times you never get to harvest your seeds where it was planted. The people you show kindness to might not reciprocate the gesture. It might be a total stranger and in a situation where you least expect or desire it, and asides doing good because of its benefits, it should be a personal obligation because that's what decent people do. Don't let the world rub you of your goodness. You're not stupid; you're not naive; you are a good person and when you are good without any expectancy you achieve a greater level of self-awareness and control.
"if we all light up we can scare away the dark."