Unwelcome Opinions

May 2023

Since when was it okay to give out backhanded compliments? You know, the ones where you're actually insulting the person by way of your opinion of them, but you tack that part to the second half of the sentence rather than lead with it. It's just plain rude and unwelcome.

And honestly, I didn't ask for said opinion nor do I care. (But yes, it's managed to piss me off.)

Sadly, I've noticed that it's become more frequent an occurrence in today's society, to speak (or text /  comment) this way. Is it because we've distanced ourselves from the people by way of social media and commenting on things, rather than speaking and meeting in person? Have we desentisied ourselves from others? What's made some of us feel the need to express and spread so much negativity around? Is it a society thing? Or is it that more unsavoury people have been let out in the world to run loose and cause havoc?

I really don't know the reason and I'm not going to loose sleep over it. But I am going to stand up and say enough. I am not entertaining any more backhanded comments.

(Note: I'm aware that I wrote something similar in my last post, so it's clearly been something that I'm encountering more and more.)

The worst part of this is that the words that cut the deepest, are usually from family, whether immediate or extended. For me, these rude comments came from distant relatives. Distant enough that you hardly ever hear from them, yet they're the ones that feel it's their duty to come out of the woodwork to criticise you of your actions (or inactions) and "school" you into the right thing. The same people that have taken no time whatsoever to consider your circumstances or situation, leaving their opinion very one-sided and clouded in many untruths.

So what have I done with the latest unsolicited opinion? Well for starters it came via text, so I marked it as "read" and then left it at that. I haven't responded. I thought about it. But honestly, I don't think that it's worth the effort on my part. Whatever I write back as a response will only goad them further and I'd rather not give them the satisfaction. I know that the did it to illicit a response from me but the only response they're getting is silence and distance. I am very well aware that they "think" they know me bt who I was growing up (or hell, even a few years ago) isn't who I am now, and I refuse to be treated with any kind of disrespect. I'm worth so much more than that.

And that's all I'm going to say about it.

Now that I've written it out here and released it on paper (okay, so it's on my laptop and on a web page, but you know what I mean), I feel better; I feel relieved... I've let it go.

My parting words for you dear reader, on the subject, is that the next time an unwarranted opinion flies your way, ask yourself if it really matters. Ask yourself if you actually really care about what they think or say. Ask yourself if you're okay with who you are and the choices you've made... because if you are, then everyone else can take their opinion and shove it up a dark orifice. You don't need to deal with it. You're worth so much more and you deserve so much better. You be happy with being your fine self; Let the opinionated rude people wallow in their own disgust with the world. You go enjoy the sunshine.