Food for thought

Read this article by another blogger - it makes you think!

A dear friend was suspicious of me in the beginning because he never met anyone like me. I remember giving him a hug and he gave me a funny look. I do not play games. Some people are masters at manipulation. That is not part of my psychological makeup. He had good reason to be suspicious in general because there were certain people who took advantage of him. The highest compliment he gave me was on my birthday. He said that I am genuine. In the beginning, he said something about my being very friendly. I learned a lot from him. Although I am very gregarious, I learned that it is a good idea to back off. Sometimes the line can be blurry between being friendly and having healthy boundaries. I worry that my friends will think I do not like them if I do not call them. Another friend once said that I respond too quickly to emails instead of waiting 24-48 hours.

And I understand where the blogger is coming from because I've made mistakes too. Although these experiences could have turned me off on future friendships, I saw them as learning experiences. For example, when a friend offers me a ride somewhere, I always offer to chip in gas money. I think some people do not know how to be genuine.