I think we need to give Others
the Benefit of the Doubt as much as possible
for our Sanity greatly suffers
if we don’t…

There’s always a Risk
of being wrong…
but there’s also the Chance
of beautiful Connections

Much more Important
than trusting Others though
is trusting Yourself

Trust Yourself to make
the right Decisions

Sad when your friends are better then your family.[/quote]

I know that too. When my grandfather died 4 years ago, his kids (including my own father) had nothing better to do than fight over formalities of the funeral and - you might have guessed it - the unholy heirship issue. They did everything possible to exclude the oldest of my grandpa’s sons he had with a former wife. Especially my aunt and grandma were somewhat engaged into that farce.
Now I was made an aunt myself only 3 days ago. I swore to myself that I will be a better aunt, a better familiy for my little nephew Jack than the better part of the bunch had been for me.
Jack was given the name my mom would have given to me, were I born a boy. I found that very sweet of my sis, something I had never expected of her.

I unfortunatly have that in my life.. I have few good friends..some really good good friends and I have one best friend.

Sad when your friends are better then your family.[/quote]

But we’re your family, remember? ;)

With that in mind, it’s ironic that despite having a bunch of friends in Vancouver, pretty much the only people who ever show up and help me move (and thankfully I haven’t moved in about three years) are my old friends from high school (who, despite having children and other household duties, drive in from Chilliwack or various parts of the valley for the day), and a few members of my family.

A good friend of mine once told me that the secret to any relationship or friendship was about not just *having* time to hang out or be a friend, it was about *making* time to hang out or be a friend. Far too many people dole out the scraps of their left over time to others thinking that satisfies the duty of a friend or a significant other. But true friendship, in my mind, involves not only being a friend when it’s convenient for you, but also being a friend when it’s absolutely inconvenient for you.[/quote]

*sighs* If I could clone you, Duane, I would. Your adorable and your perfectly correct.

I unfortunatly have that in my life.. I have few good friends..some really good good friends and I have one best friend.

Sad when your friends are better then your family.

Name the weasel(s).,

Sheesh, what a rant…sorry

Unfortunately they NEVER EVER think they will get caught. Amazing that!

What’s worse is that the more crap they spewed out, the more vile they tend to become when they are spurned, and retaliate, putting all the blame on you.

People don’t like reflections that show what is wrong in their core being. Like vampires, they will shatter you to avoid the truth.

Ways to avoid them? When it is too good to be true, it usually is… unfortunately.

-g- : managed to hone a pretty good bullshit detector after all these years…

Uh, yep. Except I don’t think I used a word as nice as ‘weasel’. Knowing what I have been through, and how used, stupid, and utterly ignorant it made me feel, I cannot imagine adding the whole fame/money thing to it. You really must get it from all sides. Don’t you hate them for making you so suspicious? Well, in some ways it can save your ass but it is just a sad statement that that is what it takes, you know? Of course I missed the first post… Anyway. Does your mind ever clash? Wanting to trust then being reminded that it’ll bit you in the ass in the end? Then feeling guilty and wanting to let your guard down and trust again? Rinse and repeat. I’m still seeking that balance but can only throw myself forcefully to each side then curse getting there. If you find an answer I figure you’ll be a bazillionaire. I wish you well in your weasel-avoidance.

By the way, that pic is pretty amazing. Yes, you DO look stunning as a redhead but in addition, I’m loving the color saturation. If you ever feel the desire to try out more of this style, I’d be happy to view.

That you have true friends means you are very lucky, despite all the weasels. Some of us feel like we don’t even have that.

The sad thing about that is that such people in most cases once were most socially gifted and emotionally sensitive but in the end just got betrayed and disappointed too often. But like so much in life, this is a (negative) learning process that is certainly reversible.
I think that there is trust existing in the hearts of people. Otherwise there wouldn’t be a way for weasels to exploit someone nor would there be for finding “true friends”. It’s a dilemma…

As for weasels… I tend to agree, however that should not stop you from at least keeping an eye open for the person who is not. You never know around which corner a good genuine friend might appear. By remaining guarded yet welcoming, you can take a chance to learn from the new person. Though you should also be able to stand your ground and close the “door” if the person oversteps.

Life is too short to remain “on guard” 24/7.

Well put! I was just thinking what a sad existence a lot of the people have on here.. And I don’t say sad as in pathetic, I say sad as in I truly think it’s a damned shame that you have cut yourself off from the world because of “weasels” — you would have no inclination of true friendship if you never met a weasel. There are some amazing beautiful people in the world who can enrich your life just because they exist. You’re willing to give up on that over some douche bags? I don’t care if it’s a million douche bags, if you pay close enough attention to other people, you can see who they really are before they hurt you.

I have no friends.
It’s sad to admit, but completely true. Due to this, I rarely receive personal calls or emails. I’m quite antisocial as well because I can’t trust anyone. I’m paranoid. I don’t want anyone to feel bad about it, but I just needed to say.
I can understand to a certain extent what you mean.

Stupid varmints.