I put myself into my people & depending on who U R n what U need from me, U can get anywhere from a meal, to a place to wash ur ass; to smoke, to a place to dock ur personal shit when u're on the run or unstable. This is always accompanied by my nuturing & my listening skills. When & only when asked, do I submit my $.07, better known as my opinion n advice.
To this day, still, I do this at no cost to anyone & no one has told me I've been wrong, but I feel my good heart n soul is being fucked with n Im stoppin it, now!
I have a 'friend' who looked to me for guidance n I gave it to her, whole heartedly. No punches pulled n no lies given. She asked for information and was given all that I knew. So how come she didn't take heed to the lessons I dropped, the truth I spoke, or the warnings I gave? She obviously just wanted to hear my voice. She actually wanted to hear many voices tellin her the same thing, becuz in the end, she did what she wanted to do, fell for the okedoke n is paying for it, now.
I have another 'friend' who said he'd drive me home from the club. He saw me talkin 2 people in the club, & decided to leave n didnt say a word. Then I texted him n he writes back that he's at the next club around the corner. I go there to find its closed, so I texted him again. He didn't answer my text and to this fucking day, hasnt called me, yet... I could b dead n stinkin in the meat packin district & he still wouldn't know. Does he even care? WOW! It's like that?
I needed these reality checks to remind me that Im not wrong when I do for others. I have to check to see how people treat me overall after I do my good works. I must conserve my time and energy for things & people that actually value my opinion, take heed to the things I say, love me n show me the RASpect I deserve.
See, Im not gonna stop being the person I naturally am. Im not going to be put in a position where I feel Im wrong for saying what I say or gettin involved. Too many black folk don't get involved when it comes to lookin out 4 one another. I mean, I put U on for your benefit, not mine. If u don't want the truth, don't ask me 4 it! And if U say U gonna do sumn, do it! Or at least have the common decency 2 let a sister know she getn left in the city @ 4:45am. Everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt, but these two specific people have burned 13 years of a bond that I thought could never be touched, much less broken. Their lack of common courtesy equals direct disRASpect to me!!!
As a grown ass adult, RASpect goes a long way. It differentiates the true grown folk from the game-playin youngins. I cannot begin to deal with people 30 plus years old acting like HS teenagers, starting rumors, having stank-ass attitudes & not knowing how to be responsible, keep their word or look out for the safety of who they declare as their 'friends'.
Common fuckin courtesy equals RASpect! I'm seeing that many folks don't possess this small but incredibly needed trait. When U C people who R cool with U, platonic, romantic or sexual on the DL, U acknowledge them with the love, regardless of who's around or who's looking. If U my people, I expect my full-fledged love, hugs, kisses, pounds, etc. It's not a matter of blowing up ur spot, it's about RASpect!
So if ur used 2 hearing from me or seeing me n U don't do either anymore, u had some explaining or apologizing to do. But U know what? Dont call, email, text or write with the explanations. It's a RAP! Peace!