"He's a good man, but...."

It seems many of you are reading on the sly, but I'm proud to say I have almost 1000 hits! AND I've made it to Pakistan. Hi, Naila! And Australia... What's up, Sean? And to a few other places in Europe. I don't know who's reading there, but I'm hoping you ALL stay with me. And would you be so kind as to pass me on? :)

I have one more piece of business before I carry on with today's controversial title. I just want to make it perfectly clear that I am NOT in any way searching for romantic love. Yes, I want it, but looking for it is not the way to obtain it. Having said that, I know it's close by... I keep looking at my left ring finger expecting a big, shiny rock to blind me. Soon enough... it will happen.

So why am I writing all this kraziness? Well for one, it's therapeutic for me. Two, it may be therapeutic for you. At the very least you'll discover that you're not the only nutty person on the planet. And three, to help somebody else with my personal experiences... I didn't go through all this crap for nothing! 

But I've delayed long enough. On to the topic at hand!

I think it is EXTREMELY important to find the best in people. I try to always let a person know what I think is great about them. If he's handsome, I'll tell him. If he's smart, I'll let him know. If I've got to dig really deep to find something good to say to a person, I give them a compliment on faith. Faith kind of works like credit... you tell them what they could become to move them forward. People need to feel valued, and even though you may not be around long, it's best that you treat the other person with the utmost dignity and respect.

But!! Oh my goodness... what a big BUT (and I'm not talking about Serena's) we have to discuss!

Every person, regardless of how much good they have, has some bad. Most of us just let it hang out, while a few who want to do right try to keep it tucked away. So yes, when you spend time with someone you'll find both good and bad. But where should the line be drawn?

These are the pieces I've found in men & women that indicate there WILL be trouble up ahead. And a wise man sees trouble from a long distance and HIDES himself. You got that? Yeah, that's Bible for ya!

1. There are TOO many friends of the opposite sex. Now if the person is active in a community like church or work, you may see this trend, but that's not what I'm discussing. But if you're seeing crazy FB posts and tweets, don't ignore them. If that person is sitting beside you and trying to sneak text, don't ignore that either! (Had to get that out!) You're just one of the bunch. I guess being one of many is okay if you're not serious about settling down. But knowing how ladies can be, most of us do want that security. So if he's a good man with too many female friends (and the converse), and you can't meet those friends in a reasonable time, said person is not the one for you! In the sweetest kindest manner possible, walk away and don't look back.
2. Her or his recent past is jacked up. I know a REALLY sweet guy whose last two years have been laced with one bad decision after another. I'm in NO position to judge, and he gets the utmost respect from me because he keeps his head held high. However, just because I'm intent on remaining nonjudgmental does NOT mean that I should ignore what's going in his life. The bottom line is this. We all pay for the bad choices we make, and if you know a person consistently makes bad choices, they won't start making good ones just because you're in the picture. And unfortunately consequences can last a lifetime. How willing are you to help someone else pay the price for their wrong-doing? That's a rhetorical question that you really should take the time to answer. (Ow!)
3. He or she is seething with anger and bitterness. I know men say that women are bitter, but if you've ever met a divorced man, you'll quickly discover that they take bitterness to a whole new level. I mean... they want you to be mad at the ex-wife who cheated on them years ago. I ain't mad at her! You still love her. Go back and deal with that!
4. She or he has low self-esteem. It's easy to tell a woman with low self-esteem in most cases. I think it's safe to say 90% of us suffer from it at one time or another. But a man with low self-esteem is often very hard to identify. Here's how to tell for both sexes.... they can't accept compliments, they don't give any compliments, they don't call when they say they will, they bring up sex when it has nothing to do with anything, they claim you'll become addicted, they fall too fast and too hard, they entertain others with low self-esteem, they are a control freak, they run through several boyfriends or girlfriends in a short period of time, they do a disappearing act. Anything that exerts unnecessary power in the relationship or boosts their ego is a definite sign someone is struggling with his or her self-worth. People with self-esteem issues need to work through those problems ON THEIR OWN. Plus low self-esteem is also the leading cause of infidelity in relationships. Do I have a statistic back that up? No, I have personal experience. Good enough for you?
5. You're being blamed for issues that belong to them. This has happened to me twice today, quite possibly because I knew I needed to write about it. People play this game to manipulate. I HATE manipulation. Don't give in to this foolishness. Like I said in another post... speak the truth and end the conversation. If you can't do that, just end the conversation and don't look back. This person's feelings are not worth sparing.

I'm sure you can come up with many more negative qualities that may outweigh the good ones, but I bet they'll fall into these categories... with the exception of one. "He's a good man, but he's gay." This is quite possibly THE most disappointing of all the statements but there really isn't a darn thing you can do about any, now is there? Lol... 

My hope is that you found this entry balanced and informative. This is, by no means, male or female-bashing, but is an investigation as to why we ignore the most obvious signs of future demise. Turning a blind eye won't make the problem go away. Honor what's good in a person, but don't get caught up in what could be.

Share your thoughts... 

Your cybersister,

Alana