Second Chances

Over the last couple of months I have been disappointed to note how some associates of mine are unwilling to give people an even break. Now I can be damn stubborn and difficult to get on with but I also believe in at least giving someone a chance to prove you wrong. Sometimes in the past it has meant that I have had my hand bitten but at least they have proven beyond doubt that they were not to be trusted or relied on. If I cut everyone out of my life who had at some point done something I disapproved of I wouldn't have many friends left. It comes down to whether you can look past the fault. Some things are beyond the pale like harming a member of my family, stealing something from me or taking me for granted continously. Holding a different opinion to me doesn't count. That just makes life more interesting. Thing is I don't particularly hold grudges anymore. I don't seek revenge anymore. I let it be and trust that if they are as bad as I think they will bring harm only to themselves. I can still be opinionated but if I wasn't I wouldn't be alive. I live in continual hope that people can prove themselves better than they are held in others eyes or even my own. In the case of the above three cases I am more likely to severe communication with the offender but I try not to slag them off and hope that at some point in the future they may see their error and meaningfully make amends. In the case of harm to my family it will take a lot to do that. Sometimes I fail and let out the anger and hurt but I do try and let it pass me by. I am only human and am prone to failures like everyone. I just hope I am big enough to look beyond.

In the case I am talking of someone I know has had a fairly major change of life and wishes to alter a few mistakes they have admitted to making. Pretty much every one I know says they will never do it. I however have been defending them by pointing out that though leopards can't change their spots people can change their ways. Saying they will never change merely means that the person trying to change will wonder why they bothered! I have bantered about it with the person in question but I fully support their attempt to change.

Wars are caused by Intolerance and holding grudges. Thats the top end but if people can turn to Colonel Gadaffi and accept his good intentions which are now allowing a grand engineering project of an underground river to help Libya prosper, then letting someone change small errors of their past which are in no way as major as backing global terrorist activity is but a tear in rain!

In Northern Ireland the IRA have finally sworn of violence to put forward their point. Northern Ireland has been a hotbed of sectarian violence for a long while. We people of the United Kingdoms have now got to swallow any hatred for past crimes and let them prove to us that their intentions are good. We have killed and imprisoned many of them sometimes wrongly sometimes with good reason. They have used terrorist activities to kill many of our citizens and armed forces. Peace has now broke out and can only be threatened by extremist views and die hards who will not let it be. Not allowing them to prove their intentions will only make it worse.

One day someone will forget about second chances and press that infamous button. I really hope that its not in my lifetime but with the current holders I am hoping really hard that they prove me wrong about them as well. In the case of the White House Chimpanzee the effort is even making me sweat with exertion!

Keep well. Learn to forget wrongs done and hope for remittances made and we will all live in a better world!