Indisputable Truths about People

People are absolutely and utterly wonderful. They have beautiful minds full of potential and power. Some people have mind-blowing talents; some sing like angels and some speak in a way that moves people to tears. People are truly marvelous creatures who are capable of honest communication, love and so much more.

People are also absolutely and utterly ridiculous. They have stupid minds full of vice and malice. Some people have jaw-dropping tendencies; some treat others like worthless nothings and some possess the ability to be petty for an eternity. People are truly infuriating creatures who are capable of awful acts, horror, and so much more.

A twist. For the better part of my life, I’ve been taken advantage of by all kinds of people. Smart people, dumb people, lazy people, seemingly kind people, straight up awful people, and many, many more.

This past weekend, I visited one of my best friends in my old stomping ground, DC. I was reminded of the good times when I was living in one of my favorite cities with a few of my favorite people.

I was also reminded of the awful times when I was (figuratively) beaten down and bruised by my “friends” and (literally) experiences.

I was friends with a girl who was one of my closest friends my last semester in DC who decided, upon learning that I was transferring, said it was “pointless to be friends anymore.” I went to my school’s counseling center where my eating disorder was brushed off and I was made out to be an aggressive Latina who simply needed to “breathe.”

I was taken advantage of by my last semester roommate and supposed best friend who stole from me and left me to take care of our entire apartment because she could not be bothered to lift a finger. I was told that “getting hit by an Uber is not a good enough reason to miss a required lecture” by a professor who barely looked at me in my neck brace.

Truthfully, I am beyond glad that I left DC and even more glad that the visit did not extend beyond a weekend. As much as I love the city and the sights, it continues to be a reminder of the way that people, good and bad, can affect the mind.

Indisputable truth number one: People are molded by experience. Two years after my departure from DC, I still think of the way the people and experiences affected me. To this day, you will not catch me at a therapist's office in the immediate future. I still maintain a safe distance from friends in the constant fear that I am disposable to them. The distance is protection from more hurting. I still hate going to the doctor. And there are so many more “things” about me that are the result of the year and a half of difficulty.

Indisputable truth number two: Even the best people can be the worst. Have you ever met these people? The absolute best ones of the bunch who end up hurting you beyond belief? The backstabbers, the hypocrites. These people did not exist only in the confines of the metro DC area; they exist everywhere, and they infiltrate your heart with love and friendship—before poisoning it. My old roommate, the best one, and I shared a friend in the girl who quit our friendship before I left for New York. That girl was a godsend, a friend of friends. She was my confidant, my gym partner, my Spanish-speaking counterpart, the thrill-seeker, my go-to for meals and homework sessions. And then she simply left.

Indisputable truth number three: People can change you for the better. Well, you must have met these ones, too. Don’t mistake the aforementioned snakes for these ones. These ones are the golden ones, the ones who are, without a shred of doubt, unconditionally big-hearted and magical. They are the ones who, in my case, have spent 8+ years mending me and moving me along the road to eternal happiness.

People are a lot of things. They are the best of the best, the worst of the worst. They are leeches of energy and love, and also the source of them. And it’s all a matter of experience to determine who is who.