Dust to dust

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet.

Matthew 10:14

This is not about religion, but that passage above is the proper starting point. Today's missive is sparked by a realization from this morning. I found out someone else blocked me on Facebook. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Boo hoo hoo. Call this person Phread.

I thought Phread was a friend. This was not a cyber friend. Phread is someone I know personally. Walked with Phread, talked with Phread, been to many places in the Southeast with Phread. Broke bread many, many times with Phread. Friend? I thought so. But, I've been wrong before.

I was there for Phread, more than once. Looking back, I can't find a single instance when Phread was there for me. Talked to some other folks whom Phread has also blocked. Same story. These are people who share the same experiences that Phread and I went through, and sometimes much more.

Phread and I often disagreed. I kept my end polite, albeit pedantic at times. Phread invited me to perform anatomically impossible acts.

Same story from other folks.

See a pattern here?

Why'd I get blocked? You'll have to ask Phread. I suspect it's because I speak the truth. When the truth hurts, yer living wrong. Was it the truth I spoke? I could be wrong. 

I tell you this. Despite insistence demands for facts, SCIENCE! and reason, Phread's replies to my stuff were rarely fact-based. Most often it was mildly emotional rhetoric and a few times outright attacks on me.

We attack that which we fear. If we don't fear it, there's no reason to attack. The truth creates more fear than anything I can think of.

Obviously, when Phread blocked me Phread felt it was in Phread's s best interests to say adios. I am truly glad. If Phread will be happier without me in this Phread's life, then I'll take this momentary pain and rejoice, knowing Phread will lead a happier life.

I preached a sermon, once, in prison about 10 years. I still have the notes, if anyone wants to read it. It's titled "Hard Sayings of Jesus." Among those statements is the one above. 

And that's a hard one. Sometimes we do have to shake the dust off our feet and show our heels.

Sometimes we call this "tough love." Sometimes we have to cut people off. We have to stop them. Get away. Don't look back.

Easier said than done. 

When you invest into someone, cutting them loose is never easy. The more you invest, the harder it is to let go.

But, sometimes you have to.

Looking back, I'm the one who should have cut this attachment. True friends can disagree, to the point of hurling invectives. But when it's SHTF, then they are there for each other. Phread was never there. I was, in more ways that one. In hindsight, Phread, by my definition, was never a true friend.

Someone is going to say I'm a fool for letting it go on this long. I'll accept that label.

I also say, I'm going to be a fool again and again and again. It's what I do. Some people need me and I'm gonna be there for 'em. I will need people and some of them will be there for me. It's what we're supposed to do. Some will abandon me in my time of need. I'll feel the pain and overcome it. I will be stronger for it.

I do, have and will forgive. But, I do have limits. Phread is forgiven, unqualified forgiveness. But this time, coming back won't happen. Dust to dust and my feet are moving me away.

Whatever does not kill me makes me stronger. I didn't want to lift these weights to add muscle, but since I have no choice, I'm gonna come out better for it.

#HumanUp Sometimes that means letting people go, no matter how much it hurts.