Life in the Middle Lane

Yesterday I got paid the most awesome compliment. Last night my girls and I went to an after-work social mixer and some guy told my friend (I paraphrase)

Monica has a super awesome personality and such a spectacular positive attitude

He also said some other stuff that I can’t remember, but he pretty much he recognized my complete awesomeness and we had only talked for a few minutes.

People often recognize my awesomeness right off the bat. They can’t help it, my awesomeness seeps from my pores.

Some people don’t have it so easy. For some, it is not the case that their coolness is on display for the world to see. Sometime cool is a little deeper below the surface.

Some people actually get better with time.

I met someone recently and I remember that during the initial conversation I remember thinking, “This blows. Just keep nodding and smiling and get this over with as soon as possible.” It was horrible. It made my head hurt. I even got a little dizzy.

Luckily, I was forced to interact with that person again, and in time I realized that that they weren’t the weird lame-o I thought they were.  They were funny and relatively cool. And I never would have known that had I not been forced to continue interacting with them.

Some people need time to warm up.

Everyone can’t be super f-ing awesome right from the beginning. (I mean, then everyone would be as cool as me.)

Maybe it’s shyness, maybe it’s nerves, maybe my beauty is intimidating, or maybe they just gotta get comfortable and find their rhythm. All I know is, I almost missed out on something really cool because I was ready to write this person off.

Usually I’m pretty good about distinguishing lame-oes from the shy, nervous ones. I’m usually a great judge of character, but this time, my impatience got the best of me.

Oh, well. I never said I was perfect. But most times I can tell. Sometimes I (and you) just know. Sometimes people are idiots.

And all the warming up, all the forced interaction, all the patience  in the world doesn’t change a thing.

Some people just suck.

I have been friends with someone for YEARS and 6 times out of 10 they make my head hurt. I believe s/he is a complete moron, they are negative and they sometimes just aren’t fun. I am totally convinced that suck-i-ness is just a part of her/his personality.

And still we remain friends. I get some enjoyment out of this person in spite of the suck-i-ness.

However, there are times when there is no enjoyment, no happiness, no light to be found. And that’s when I throw in the towel.

Some people are complete assholes

I know this guy who is the most horrible person. And he pulls women like rabbits out of a hat. Then when he gets these beautiful, professional, intelligent women where he wants them, he treats them like sh*t. He cheats, he manipulates, he uses.

And still he has so many hangers-on. Every time one women gets some sense and leaves, he’s got a revolving door of lovelies just waiting to fall in line.

I hate him (b/c he’s an @ss) and I’m jealous (‘cause these women are GOR-GEOUS).

My point?

Bottom line; there are a lot of people in this world. Some of us are more than means the eye. It’s important that we seek out (or at least watch out for) these oft overlooked gems.

But there are some unfortunate souls who look good on the surface and are rotten underneath.

Some people might like @ssholes. To some, the rotteness, idiocy or just plain boring-ness that I see might be just what the doctor ordered.

I don’t get it, but there it is.

Every day I learn something about the other homo sapiens who roam this planet.

This weekend, I was just reminded that you can’t judge a book by its cover. And like I told somebody (one of the times this weekend when I was running my mouth)  this world, it takes all kinds. Even the @ssholes.