A Closer Look Within

in Scholar and Scribe11 months ago

Sitting right in my daddy’s chair at the porch, looking into the sky and thinking someway somehow and through some magical means all his experience and wisdom would infiltrate my brain because I’m so stuck in life about friendships. Am I the problem? Definitely not. I had asked a lot of people if I was the problem and they all responded in the negative. In about 2 months I had cut off two really good friends or they dumped me? Let’s just say they dumped me.

Let’s start with my ex best friend.
Wait, you won’t believe what just happened. Right in the moment when I was writing this, I had a text from her apologizing. Waittt, so maybe I really am not the problem. I’m emotional at the moment and don’t even know the direction this will go. My ex best friend dumped me because I was blunt about my opinions of her ex boyfriend.

They had broken up so I didn’t think it was a big deal to be truthful ans straight about the ex. She dumped me after some days. Did it hurt? It hurt like hitting your toe nail to a chair on a cold morning.
Okay, so the other friend too? He was always yelling at people anytime he was angry. Yes, he is a he which was scary enough. And oh he’s like body builder so automatically his yelling would give off, I will beat you up. I hope I’m making sense. I had to, I just had to. You might be wondering Eii Abena what did you do this time to a body builder.

Well, I kept it a hundred with him; he should stop yelling at people because it’s scary. “Today he’s yelling, tomorrow who knows what else he would be doing” the exact same words I told him. In the next minute he blocked me. I was shattered. That was my person. Not my person like in a romantic way. For a while I felt like maybe I wouldn’t really have friends stay around me because of my straightforwardness. Was I supposed to start pretending to be who I’m not?

A true sanguine, extrovert , dramatic and straightforward, that’s me and was it really worth changing for anybody, I thought to myself. I’ve always been that friend people would come to anytime they wanted to hear the absolute truth about something. I mean the naked truth, with no cover.

So back to sitting in my daddy’s chair. Did his wisdom infiltrate my brain? Yes it did! My friends were right, I wasn’t the problem but my methods of execution were! Being straightforward wasn’t a problem, telling them the truth wasn’t the problem! Hell, they even already knew the truth about themselves but never found it easy to admit it.
The problem was how straightforward I was with my straightforwardness. I genuinely thought the truth could only be told in a straightforward way but no.

It’s like telling a fat person, she’s fat. She already knows it so you telling her straightforward that hey, you are so fat! Makes her not only feel fat but ugly. Right there, when those magic infiltration of wisdom happened in my daddy’s chair, I knew in one hand was the problem and the next hand was the solution, I didn’t have to look so far. I could be honest without being straightforward, I could say the truth in a polite way. Like I said, the truth already hurts, so why not say it in a polite way that could widen the person’s perceptives into accepting to work on themselves.

Instead of telling my best friend her ex was no good for her, I could have just told her my observations and allowed her to conclude and decide for herself. And honestly, it’s not everytime that my honest opinion is even necessary.

And oh, the body builder also unblocked me and apologized but it only gave me the confirmation I needed, I’m not the problem, my method of execution is and the only thing I needed to do was to change my methods.
I’m gradually transforming. I’ve heard a lot of wow, you’ve changed, oh in a good way. Henceforth, I know my daddy’s chair and I are for-lifers!

All images are mine

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we that don't have friends can't relate 😂😂, being straightforward is actually a good thing but like they use to say, the truth is bitter, now you need to be cajoling them while hitting their head with the hammer of truth. but being straightforward or not, who will stay will stay

Who will stay will stay!!!
That’s a really great something to keep for myself for a while
I love it

The thing with friendship is, give it freedom, allow it to fly. Some times we get stuck up in our own world we miss out on others.

Okay, but what if I feel lonely during that time it’s flying?

that is where being self sufficient comes in

Alrightttt Banga
Thank you

😂🤣😂🤣 let me go and look for the Ghanian juju I will report you to first before we import your matter to Sango and Ogun

Eweee🤣🤣

You will hear from us soon don't worry 😒

I do love people that are straightforward but I think it’s because I find it so hard to be straight forward. I know someone is not doing something right but I find it hard to tell them because I just feel they should know what is right and do it.

But yes, it’s not your straightforwardness that is the bone of contention here it is the how? I’m happy your daddy’s chair leggy some wise words with you. If you can fix that how, girl you will be a go to person all the time trust me 🥰

Fixing it to become a go to person for everyone important in my life

Love it for myself 🥰
Thank you dear🥰

You can do this my darling 🥰. It’s a pleasure stopping by 🤗

🥰

Well, some realisation happened, followed by a transformation, and that's what matters. People not only need those who are truthful with them but also kind and empathetic about it. Interacting with people, even the closest ones, isn't always the easiest, but there are tactful and compassionate ways to do it. I wonder what they thought of your own apologies to them, though.

Mmm

No I never apologized, they did

That's rather interesting

I just think, they have known me since since and in that moment I only added more salt to their wound but I didn’t create a new wound…but then before I could say jack, I was dumped
So they left me wondering for days maybe I had a problem but now that they actually came back, and we’ve had some conversations here and there, did I add more salt? Yeah but according to them that was what they never thought they needed

But me in a different world just think I don’t have to keep on letting friends dump me everytime before I see that my method of delivery is brutal, because the truth itself is brutal…..what if they don’t return oneday.” So am i going to stop saying the truth to them? No but I’m going to be mild with the truth because I know deep down they need me as that only friend who would always say the truth.

I understand. And I agree that the truth can be said in better ways, especially to the ones we care about.

You people have "ex best friend" now😲😲 whaooo

But I get the whole point. I was always straightforward, too, until I watched a video of a man talking about it. Its nice to always tell your friends the truth, but how you tell them matters a lot. The right word, at the right time, in the right circumstances.
He gave an example, which I would have loved to share, but it would be so long. But the bottom line is that, you can correct people by pointing things out and helping them see where they are wrong, given the circumstances of the environment or place. Sometimes, face-to-face conversations are better than text.
I don't know if you get my point, but that's it.
This was an interesting post, and I guess I would like to sit on that chair too.

That’s the whole point of it, I’m actually glad you were a straightforward person too

Wait were? What happened ? You are no more?

I think I’ll sit on that chair to know what to trade and when henceforth

hahaha.
chair of wisdom

Some one once told me that, if you want your friendship to last, Just don't be straightforward😂 they hate it...
Well, I am glad they came back apologising to you

Hmm that’s interesting

Always be you. I too have lost a lot of would-be friends, though I doubt if my bluntness is the cause.🤔 oh well, we move.💕

Oh wow, a fellow blunter…if that’s even a word

Starting now it is 😁 hi fellow blunter💕

🥰

Thank you for your support

To be a straightforward person is not a bad thing. I think it is a good habit of people. But when it is about your best friends then I always work with my mind. Because I have only two freinds and don't want to lose them due to my straightforward stupidness.

Yeah, I’ve also resorted to that now
Losing them because of straightforwardness makes no sense

If you are my friend and you are always straightforward, telling me the raw truth, I will fall in love with you the more. This is me, I love constructive criticism and in a polite way of possible, for sure, I will think and adjust. So personally, i think your method might work for some people while some find it offensive. Overall, it's good that you are adjusting

Alright
Thank you ma’am

Most people, I inclusive, do not like always like to hear the bitter truth but having someone tell it to us in our faces can go a long way to helping us seeing them.
Since you've realized that your straightforwardness has led to you having issues and break ups with your friends, it's good that you have found a way around it.

#dreemerforlife

Yeah, thank you sweet dreemer

You can't imagine how I understand you.
I think that in my case what works for me is to talk less and listen more. And it's not that I don't know how to listen... it's just that it's better to keep quiet and observe before impulsively giving an opinion. Maybe it is better to think and rethink until a better way emerges.

#dreemerforlife

Ohhhh that’s really smart
I’ll add that sweet dreemer
Thank you!

Being straight forward is not a bad thing at all. It's just that people decode things differently especially when it is something about them. Truth is bitter. But then, you might also be right about the way you lay it on them.

#dreemerforlife

Yeah they decode things really differently and that’s why

I really like when people are very straightforward with me. And so I like to give them exactly what I expected. This thing of trying to sugarcoat words is really a struggle

Yeah right
A big struggle

"The problem how how straight forward you were with your straightforwardness " ...that pharse really got me 😅. @abenad you should be feel bad or change the way you are because you are been sincere and truthful to people. You are outspoken and that's one of the virtues I have too and I admire someone that's outspoken. There is a saying "The truth is always bitter". You loosing friends like that beacuse you said the truth shows they aren't for you. So smile and be happy . You choose your friends don't let them choose you.

Yay! This made my evening
Thank you so much

You are welcome....I am happy I made your evening.