Show and Tell
By Allen Forrest
Word count: 354
Do you ever run into those people who want to use you for an emotional Kleenex?
You know the type: they won't do anything about their complaints,
BUT—they want you to service their angst.
These are some of the most useless people you'll ever meet.
They're never truthful with themselves.
Or with you.
They just want to suck any compassion you can give them away
and not return anything back.
They're robbers, users, dishonest characters who'd toss you under the bus,
if it suited their needs.
I used to know one.
He'd come around to talk to me and never have anything positive to say.
He wanted me to quell his fears.
I noticed he never did anything to help himself and I got tired of his attitude.
So I'd try to stay away from him.
Once he picked up on that I was done for.
I was a non-person.
He wouldn't even say hello as he passed me on the street.
Just shook his head and glared—you're useless!
Yeah, I was, to him.
A couple years of this treatment went by.
Then one night I was riding transit, a bus, and he boarded.
He sat right across from me. We saw each other.
He looked worried. Concerned. Disturbed. Ready to jump up and leave.
Was I going to do something to him, now that he was trapped?
I thought it was amusing. I knew he was staring at me.
But I didn't let on, just continued reading my pocket book.
You gotta love those uncomfortable moments.
Especially when you're not uncomfortable, but they are.
His stop finally came and he moved quickly to the exit.
Bye bye.
If you're going to ask for something from someone.
Then you better be ready to give back.
If you use, then be of use.
Some never learned this lesson.
If I show and tell I have to expect you'll want to in return.
And—I better listen to what you have to say.
And give you my honest reaction.
Give and take. Communication. Two sided: send and receive.
Now I've shared mine.
What's yours?
