To Err Is Human

What does it mean when someone laughs at a story you begin with the statement, "Something terrible happened to me the other day," and that someone is a close friend? I recently had this experience with not one, but two friends -- same story, by the way-- and I must say it depressed the hell out of me and dampened my feelings for both of them.

Compassion and empathy are  important human qualities I have in abundance. Too much, really, since I feel for others to such a degree that it seriously impacts my quality of life, one might say pathologically so. If it's a close friend or family member I often feel their pain even more than they do, and if it's a total stranger I've only read about in the news, I can still break down in sobs. So it's a real shocker when I don't get a shred of compassion back from the people who are allegedly in my "circle of trust."

I am not a serial killer, pathological liar, sociopath, pederast or thief. I am in reality a pretty nice person. My greatest failing is that I don't abide the obese, and if you knew why you'd give me a pass. Yet I can count on the fingers of one hand the people I can call on in an emergency who might give a damn, and I'm betting the same is true for most others, unless they are very wealthy or hold a position of power.

Yes, to forgive is divine. Most of us can do that, but barring a lobotomy, the hurt remains.