Staying strong

A phone conversation I had with a new friend really blew me out of the water and changed my perspective on and aspect of life. The name of the person is Mr. W. Mr. W is from Chicago and he has gone through some things that are just plain unimaginable. He lost his father due to not first, but second-hand smoking. Here is the killer: all of his father's friends who smoke are STILL alive. His mother is under social security and his brother got laid off. Mr. W supports both of them and is pretty much the head of the household. Because of this, he has very little time for a social life.

Another hardship that life threw at him was being engaged twice and cheated on each time. One would think that this would turn him into a bitter jackass right? WRONG! This man is still the kind-hearted person he once was before he encountered these two wenches. He refused to allow for anyone to change him for the worse. This is what staying strong really is. Despite all of the adversities he faced, he still a happy spirit who treats women with respect. It's unfortunate how women say that men like him are being "too nice". I believe the reason for this is because we see kindness in a man as a sign of weakness. Once she runs into a man who mistreats her, we are wishing for that same "nice" guy to rescue her. By that time, he has already moved on with his life and wants very little to do with that woman. This is exactly the case with Mr. W. Eight women came back begging for a second chance, but he refused to give it to them. He had to let them know that he waits around for no one. Life is too short for that rubbish.

A valuable lesson I learned from our conversation is that one must still remain optimistic and continue developing an appreciation of life. Yes we do complain about things going wrong and forget what is going right. Most of what we complain about is quite trivial. Let me re-emphasize something that may have been said to all or most of you: If you find yourself whining about something, shut up, and think about others who have suffered and still are suffering more than you.

Mr. W, listening to all of your struggles was a huge disappointment, but seeing how you keep smiling inspires me more to keep pushing to achieve my goals. Also, it told me NEVER to give anyone the permission to change you, for you will be giving them the power he or she does not deserve. You are a true example of someone with thick skin.