There are a plaethora of proverbs in the world – perhaps much less than there used to be, but still far too many. I take issue with one particular proverb: Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other – gold.
There are several reasons why I don’t like it: firstly, from personal experience, the old friends are the one that can backstab you a whole lot harder and deeper than anybody else, and secondly – I’m the kind of person who doesn’t give much of a damn about how long I’ve known people. If I trust somebody, it doesn’t matter if I’ve known them for five minutes or five years – if they are loyal to me, I’m loyal to them. And if not, well, I see no reason why I ought to keep them in my life. You see, I’m beginning to understand when people say there’s a reason someone’s in my past and not my present. Fact of the matter is, if we haven’t made an effort to keep each other in the loop, as it were, or if something happened to break what we have, then it wouldn’t matter if you were Bradley Cooper, the Child Empress and Don Omar rolled into one, chances are our relationship will stagnate. And yes, people do deserve a second chance, but once they’ve blown that first time, it’s never the same. In some cases, Mk II is better – but those are about as rare as me reading up on the World Wars. By and large, people get their second chance, and then fuck up again – because people will do what they do, and be what they are. If it didn’t work the first time, stubborn as I am, there’s usually a reason why things messed up – and unless both parties change in a way that would make them “gel” together (which is nigh impossible) it’s better to leave each other be. Time was when I fought for old relationships, sometimes broken, sometimes simply forgotten – but not anymore. It’s funny – I was once told I’m the last person that needed to reinvent herself by someone who I fell out with later. I was told many things to that (and similar) effect by many other people whose friendships I no longer have. Since then, I’ve made efforts towards making things right – efforts which went unnoticed and/or unreciprocated, on all fronts. Thus, I’ll have to say that those who don’t reciprocate just don’t deserve to know me. But of those who do, I’m sorry – I *do* hold people to high standards, but I expect of them what I expect of myself, nothing more. If that’s too much, anyone is welcome to leave. If not, don’t butch and moan about it – simple as that.
And no, before those of you who know me in person start sending concerned messages asking who this is directed to, it’s not about anyone in particular – just those who are in the past, and not my present.
