Friday 15 January 2010

End of the Line.

I have tried being a good friend and relative, I've tried being sociable, I've tried to work hard enough to earn my place at this University and in people's company, but I have failed, and now have nothing else to give.

I don't want to play this game any more, or keep trying to stay afloat in the rapids of my life. The failures simply return again and again in rushing tides, causing more trouble or politely hidden exasperation like rocks to smash my head against: and I do exactly the same thing again later in the hope of rectifying earlier problems, though I know it won't. It becomes a compulsive vicious circle, a whirlpool which continues to make things progressively worse, but which I can't get out of.

There are plenty platitudes and 'reassurances': "But we love you" and "Well I'm still your friend" etc. made all the worse by the add-ons at the end where people explain that this is actually momentous because "We don't hang around with just anyone", or "I'm the sort of person that would definitely tell you to get lost if I didn't want you around". What nobody seems to realise that it is a natual human phenomenon for a naturally decent person to be charitable towards someone who wouldn't have a hope in hell of finding anyone who actually liked them. The chance to be magnanimous is something that a person's subconscious jumps at, giving them a feeling of righteousness and nobility, and let's face it, most people like to feel good about themselves don't they? I get that people don't realise that they're doing this, but if they sat down and really thought about it, it would become clear that a friendship with someone like me (whose main character traits are irresponsibility, failure and untrustworthiness), is totally inexplicable and a substantial waste of time

My least favourite platitude, however, has to be: "Just do your best". This is, in my opinion, one the most abhorrent phrases ever. Most people when it comes to exams etc. tend to try their best, but the thing is that their best at that particular time may not actually be their personal best, and may in fact be rubbish. I've spent my whole life being encouraged to do my best; not helped of course by the apparent expectation that my best will be pretty good, and have been working up to University, which now appears to have bested me.

I have been trying my best, and my best has just run out of steam, I have no more best to give, no more effort or energy to be expended on anything. As far as I can see, my life finished the day that I got my A-level results, that's what my life had been working up to, and that's where it stopped. That was hard enough towards the end, and now, I'm done, empty, finished. Other people's lives extended beyond work, and they developed other skills to help them deal with the aftermath of school, but I didn't. This leads me to conclude that I didn't need any other skills, as I wasn't designed to be going any further.

I shouldn't be here.

I will be making a decision about my future in the next couple of days, any job/CV writing ideas would be gratefully received.

8 comments:

Mark said...

"in my opinion, one the most abhorrent phrases ever."

but how can it be, when it's got to compete with:

"whose main character traits are irresponsibility, failure and untrustworthiness"

and

"The chance to be magnanimous is something that a person's subconscious jumps at"

and

"that's what my life had been working up to, and that's where it stopped"

You don't want people sugar coating things? Fine.

Your buckets of unfounded self loathing drives me up the wall. You aren't the despicable, stupid, hated person you make out, and even if you have managed to convince yourself you are, to suggest people only spend time with you to feel good about having a friend we hate is actually quite insulting: to suggest everyone is lying every time we make an effort to spend time with you or laugh with you or have a conversation with you or ask for your help or try to comfort you or reassure you when you're low or offer advice or tell you how much we care about you or support you whatever you decide to do with your life.

And don't you dare just read the criticism and ignore the point of this.

We. Love. You.

Mark said...

(Also: while the content makes me sad, that was a beautifully written post.)

Itastelikedeath said...

I have to point out that it was never my intent to be insulting: it was supposed to be a sort of compliment to the patience/goodwill of normal people, and a comment about how even when the subconscious is trying to make Itself happy, on the whole, it does so by benefiting others.

Lately every time I try to say something, it ends up so badly written that people misinterpret it.

In no way was I trying to imply that people were liars, simply that they might be misguided in their placement of faith and trust, in this particular instance: everybody has a failing like that every now and then.

Mark said...

If I thought you were trying to be insulting I'd not have mentioned it.

And, despite me asking you not to, you completely ignored my point. So, in bold and all caps in the hope you will pay attention:

YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE NOT DISHONEST AND WE ARE NOT STUPID. JUST BECAUSE YOU DON'T LOVE YOURSELF YOU SHOULD NOT IGNORE THE OVERWHELMING EVIDENCE THAT WE DO LOVE YOU AND GENUINELY ENJOY SPENDING TIME WITH YOU.

If that wasn't clear enough I'm going to have to hire a sky writer or a stripogram or something.

Anonymous said...

I'm with you're brother. You know how I roll.
SC

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

I don't know what to say, except I'm hoping to come up to Bristol to see you, if you'll permit me...

Also,
A Dog and Cat huddling together for warmth

I posted and deleted this comment a few times because I kept forgetting the html codes...