Member-only story
An Argument for Softening Up On People
Just because I’m tough doesn’t mean I’m not human
When I was kid, my friend down the street had a pomegranate tree in her backyard. It was one of many trees that made her backyard look totally out of place in Phoenix.
The biggest tree was in the middle of the yard and sturdy enough that we could climb up there after we grabbed some fruit off the pomegranate tree. It’d take a long time to get to the seeds.
If you’ve ever tried to open up a pomegranate you know it’s an incredibly frustating activity. It’s not easy. It’s like it has it’s own defensive mechanism against being consumed already built-in. It’s an odd fruit.
I’m not unlike a pomegranate.
A little rough on the outside and you really have no idea what to do with it. It takes a ton of work to get to the good stuff but once you do, I like to think it’s worth it.
I have my own built-in defense mechanisms, as well. My humor is often self deprecating, a trait learned after years of trying to beat everyone to the punch. I sometimes isolate myself to reduce the risk of being rejected or hurt by others. More times I want to admit, I have told people I was…
