It's Been A While...

Judge not, lest ye be judged. I don't even know where this is in the Bible but I've always tried to keep it somewhere in my thoughts. Everyone in my life knows I am not perfect, that I have done things that I am ashamed of or embarrassed about. But I have always tried to own up to these things, apologize when appropriate, change my behavior and move on. I've learned to say, "I'm sorry." and really mean it. To change my behavior so that I don't make the same mistake again. I have learned not to hold a grudge or "hate" people. When you do that the only person you poison is yourself. I just find it strange that the people that preach these same things don't practice them and I am some sort of monster in their eyes. We have all done things that we are not proud of and yet I have become an outcast and an example of what not to do. It's as if I'm the only person that has ever said something to regret, done something wrong, gossiped, stolen or lied. Make me the pariah if you want to, but if you look inside yourself you know that you have no right to pass judgement on me. I am still trying to make up for some of the wrongs that I have done. Some of them I will never be able to make up for and I will have to live with that forever. The people that judge me have no idea how I truly feel in my heart. They are entitled to their feelings of anger, judgement and resentment but I feel an amount of comfort knowing that the only person I have to truly answer to right now is the one I face in the mirror every morning. Some mornings are better than others, but at least I am trying to be better and not busy wasting my time judging and belittling everyone around me.