Escaping Vanity

  The steps of being a self-defeating person are similar to masochism. One psychological, another mental, as if no one is watching and yet, said person is always observing internally while projecting. A forcefield outward or an object inward.  Little can deter their thought process. What was once objective consideration is now corrupted and unfair. Specifically, to themselves and how any situation needs to unevenly disperse weight to their disadvantage.  This is not out of goodwill or great compassion. In any, such a ratio exists out of coincidence. Though it may seem as if they're shouldering a burden, this is consequential by design, intended to overwhelm themselves. Not of generosity to anyone externally, but to mimic the internal pressure felt within.  This intensification helps play out the manifestation of poor self worth. Optimism is a fleeting charade they use. Dealing three-card Monty and keeping success out of reach with the dealer and player being one and the same. Each

This was originally the reply to a social media post about school shooting origins... ------------------------------- I never understood why we can't see the correlation between distance and school shootings. Not just the proverbial, but the social travel distance between folks.  You run across people who decide they're going to speak in gunpowder instead of being frustrated anymore. It never used to be like that. Especially where I grew up.  I remember people having gun racks in the trucks, right there, in the parking lot at school. But, that wasn't an issue because everybody knew everybody. We all said hello and we all had our good and bad vibes with each other. Even so, everybody didn't have to feel like they were special.   Entitlement is a popular word of the day... There's a theory- maybe that's it? Hell, I've known Harry Chapin's song "Sniper" nearly my entire life. There's even a lot of early evidence that the initial school s

 by Michael L. Craver She saw him rise out of the water, shaking off his hair like a dog… She had to cover her face and turn away. When she looked back, he was walking just this side of the sun. Hard to see anything but his dark silhouette. That’s when the towel wrapped round his waist covered him changing right there in the open.         There was no shortage of manners in the way she was raised. However, mentally adding weight to that fabric, wishing for a wardrobe malfunction was questionable. As the proverbial battle good versus evil neared a climax, he tore away the towel. This was his exit, and she promised herself to make a move today.         No matter how fast she found a ladder and shuffled for her sandals, he was on the other side of the fence. She had to run to the lockers for her bag and keys. By now, her education clicked both sides of her brain together and she came to the realization he was gone.         Just as she was leaning into her driver’s door, a reflection ca