Growing Up

Sometimes we don’t even notice when this happens. One moment we are a child swinging on the playground and the next we are an adult walking through the streets.

Today I did something I’ve never done before. Sometimes we find ourselves gossiping, talking about other people, sharing frustrations about others, and we think it’s okay. We think that maybe if we say it to one another in confidence it will make us feel better. Instead of telling the person whom we are talking about what is going on, instead of sharing our frustrations with the person with whom the frustrations exist – why? Perhaps we are scared, ashamed, or not ready yet to accept that the only way things will change is if we make them, if we want them to change. I found myself in this situation today, caught between gossip and connecting with another human being. I chose the dirt road: the one that is harder to walk on, the one that makes your feet a little dirty, the one where you may trip and fall. And you know I didn’t fall, I didn’t even hit a bump. Instead I found another friend ready to accept her own challenges and understanding that I’ve also been through my own.

I hope that I can continue to do this, to share instead of gossip, and also for the reverse to occur, that I may be open to critique of myself in order to change, to connect with others.