I am hanging out over at Tara’s Mid Week Mingle : http://www.giveittometara.blogspot.com

A paragraph from “Bristol boyz Stomp”….

“The Galione’s were still whining that their son was innocent.  I guess they forgot about his confession.  I guess they did not hear the same evidence we heard.   I guess they forgot they had thrown him out of their home because of his drinking.  I guess they forgot he was thrown out of college. Drexel University.  I guess they just did not want to face the truth.  Their kid was a killer, and that was a fact.”

I have always been a kind and extremely empathetic person.  Many times this has been misconstrued as my being weak or stupid.  Honestly for a long time I was pathetic.  I felt sorry for those that bullied me.  I prayed for them.  I made excuses for them.  I tried to put myself in their shoes.  No matter what I did the mean people got meaner and I became more and more withdrawn.  I thought if I ignored them they would stop.

Then I found a weapon.  I found my voice and my pen.  I quickly learned my pen was mightier than any sword.

I almost want to laugh when I think back at people that have spouted about how important it is to always be kind no matter what.  They insist they hate mean people, yet when they are thrown the gossip ball they take off running.  They believe they have a right  because someone has done them or their family wrong.  Why do so many people fall into this category.

There is no regard for the truth.  There is no judge or jury-just a guilty verdict.

When writing my book “Bristol boyz Stomp”  it was extremely hard for me to find a way to put my anger and frustration into words.  It was more than hard it was down right painful.

Don’t get me wrong; the murderers that took the life of my brother got no pass from me.   It was their families I had trouble with.  They bullied my entire family.  They went beyond mean.  I tried very hard to put myself in their shoes.  I tried very hard to give them the benefit of the doubt.  They just became meaner.   It was agonizing to not fight back,  to be quiet and let the justice system do it’s job.

I had to make a decision.  I was either going to write a factual book or I was not going to write the book at all.  The truth never has an agenda.

The truth was these murderer’s family’s had no compassion, no empathy and not one kindness bone in their entire bodies.

Being kind uses a lot less energy than being mean does.  It is also a lot less stressful.Would it have been that difficult for them to say, we’re sorry for your loss?  Would it be that hard to ask questions before playing judge and jury?

Kindness is a conviction.  It is a way of life.  You are either a kind person or you are not.  There is no middle here.  The true test is being kind when it is really.really.hard.no.matter.what.

How do you handle situations where you feel someone is being down right mean to you?

“Never look down on anybody unless you are helping him up”. ~Jesse Jackson