......in everyone's life where it seems like we make the choice to eliminate the negativity. That negativity can come in many forms - whether it's work, shows you watch, or the people you call friends.
In my specific circumstance, it was someone who I no longer considered a friend. And this can happen for many different reasons - though mine were very specific. And I felt it was time to let the negativity go because I'm at a point in my life where I don't need to deal with unnecessary drama. And that's all this person was - drama, drama, drama. And I tried to approach the situation with some maturity, in hopes that the discussion wouldn't end up in a blow-up situation, much similar to when she lost yet another friend last year. But what I learned from all this is, no matter how mature YOU try to be, or how logically YOU try to explain something to someone, some people just cannot handle the situation with any sort of tact or dignity. And this was proven right off the bat. And it's sad, really, because we are all adults here....or so I thought.
In this circumstance, the person happened to be a "competitor" in the photography business. The professional ethics of this person left a lot to be desired. In fact, you could almost call it shady. I do. And to me, a true definition of the word "character" is: doing the right thing when no one is looking. And when someone does something that specifically goes against a client's wish, that's not cool. It doesn't sit well with me. And I refuse to be associated with someone who can't practice even the most simple business ethics.
Another area of concern for me hit really close to home since I'm a mother. It got to the point where the safety of this person's child was causing extreme concern for me. Actually, not just me - those around me with whom I shared the stories. So I had to make a decision - a hard decision. Either I was going to make a phone call, or I needed to just walk away and hope the child would be okay. I chose the latter, seeing it as the lesser of two evils. Specifically because this person happens to be married to a man I know to be violent. Someone who knows where I live. Where my child lives. So the choice was easy for me.
So I sat down and put my thoughts on paper, uninterrupted from the many excuses I knew I would hear in reply. I had several people read my thoughts so that I could be sure I was handling the situation in a mature manner. Each person felt I was. So I sent my thoughts and hoped that the recipient would also handle the matter with the same maturity. My hopes were quickly proved wrong when I received numerous responses, lashing out and making excuses, instead of focusing on the valid points I had tried to make. Then, in further acts of childlike behavior, the person decided to compose several online posts, bashing me and misconstruing the entire situation. But that's what I expected. And that's why I made the decision to eliminate this person from my life. And it looks like my decision was dead-on. So I guess I owe this person a thank-you for proving what I DON'T need in my life. Sometimes all you have to do is give people enough rope, and they will hang themselves.
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