Your past doesn't excuse your present...

We all have skeletons, and for many of us, they are stored in more than one closet. I cannot believe for a minute that there is a person alive who has lived a charmed life, untouched by strife, illness, or tragedy. Should that person exist, I'll be sure to punch them in the throat to break that cycle. While it's almost as offensive to behave like you haven't got a care in the world, it's far worse to act like you carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. Because let me tell you something, you most certainly do not. Many people exaggerate the burden of their everyday existence because the basics overwhelm them. Life isn't easy and it definitely isn't fair, but that doesn't mean you can't handle it. If you can't, hang it up and stop wasting my fucking air.
It's not as though I am without empathy for my fellow human.  I completely understand pain, both physical and emotional.  These things affect how we behave, to a degree.  To. A. Degree. They are not excuses for being a total asshole for the remainder of your life.Trust me, there is always someone out there who has it worse, and you'd never know it to look at them or talk to them. Grace under fire, that's the mark of true strength. You don't have to be strong 365 days a year, but for Christ's sake, you can't possibly be floored by life for 364. We weren't put on this earth for a smooth ride. There will always be bumps in the road, handle them with the same care as when you drive. You can't always avoid them, so you have to figure out how to safely cruise over them.

These excuse-tards come in so many different forms, but I'll only talk about a few of them.  You'll get the point, I hope. If you've grown up with a limited amount of funds, I'll understand if you bargain hunt now.  I can't comprehend being a totally stingy asswipe who makes their children walk around in Salvation Army clothing and eat bread heels with butter for lunch. Unless you are actually poor, your children don't need to suffer because you are paranoid about reliving your childhood. Times are different, and you have a job. You don't have to shop at Nordstoms, but Target has some cute stuff for your kids so they don't appear homeless. To talk with someone like this, you'd actually think they grew up during the Depression.  But that's right, they weren't even born yet. Some will regale you with stories of their impoverished upbringing only for you to discover that what they really mean is that their mom wouldn't buy them Sergio Valente jeans, and they suffered bravely while wearing Lee jeans. Oh the humanity!
That weenis pales in comparison to the person who has had a bad relationship or two or three and is now scarred for life.  I'm not referring to a person who endured abusive relationships and kept repeating the cycle.  This person just happened to be a douche magnet and so ended up being dumped over and over. Now, they are fearful of commitment and each subsequent partner pays the price. They aren't trusted, believed, or given a very long leash.  Living with constant accusations and explosions, they beat a hasty retreat out of that evil trap.  She will tell you that her past has made her hesitant to trust.  He will say that he is afraid to be hurt again. So instead, you hurt every person who tries to get close to you?  How is this acceptable to you? Relationships are supposed to be learning experiences, not used as cop-outs for any further attempts at love.
Some people will use the "burden" of being a parent to excuse them for their bitchy attitude.  Right, because you are the only person to every have dealt with a surly, disrespectful teenager.  My mistake.  You fucking pioneer, please take notes to help the rest of us when we embark on this brand-new, never heard of before journey.  Your kid actually snapped at you and rolled her eyes before stomping out the front door?  Holy fuck!  You poor soul, let me pour you a cup of tea and massage your temples.  How DO you deal with it?  No wonder you are cranky as a constipated ape.  Guess what?  You signed on for parenthood the moment the little swimmer met your egg.  From that point on, the responsibility was all yours. That adorable little baby was bound to grow up at some point. Too bad you were too stupid to realize it back then.  Maybe you'd have opted for better birth control or fellatio.
You had a crappy childhood? Aw, poor fucking baby. What exactly was crappy about it? Share with the rest of the class.  Were your parents way too strict?  Did they make you do your homework as soon as you got home from school?  Was your curfew earlier than everyone else's, or than everyone else told you their curfew was? Oh I know, they didn't let you go to unchaperoned parties where there was drinking and drug use.  Goddamn it! That is totally fucked up. Or did they smack you across the ass for acting up? Call the authorities and find out if the statute of limitations has run out. Let me lay it out for you as clearly as possible, unless they beat you or each other, it wasn't that bad. Growing up abused or witnessing abuse is mentally and emotionally scarring, and trust me, those are scars that never heal.  Yet, they are not excuses to treat others as poorly as you were treated all those years ago. Break the fucking cycle instead of perpetuating that which you despise.

Perhaps it is time to piss some people off now. That is, of course, if I already haven't yet. Many people will have to deal with a loved one becoming sick during the course of their lives.  I don't mean the common cold or the flu.  I'm talking about the kind of sick that causes you to become their caregiver while dealing with the possibility that they may never get better. Yes, this happens and it sucks dangling moose balls.  It will be one of the most exhausting things you will ever experience, both physically and emotionally.  No doubt about it.  And during that time, chances are, you won't be your usual self.  We will all understand.  Five years after the fact, your excuse is gone. That maybe harsh, but then, we all know I don't sugar coat much. Painful memory, yes.  A reason to treat people like dog shit, hell no.
Of course, there's always the one person who will take death a step too far.  OH MY GOD, SHE WENT THERE! But follow along with me for a bit. Everyone handles death differently, on this we can all agree. Some of us cry; some scream; some shut down completely; others ignore it for as long as humanly possible; a few will seem perfectly fine on the outside but be engaged in unseen self-destructive behaviors like drinking themselves into a stupor every night after work; one or two will take it out on those closest to them. All perfectly normal and expected during such a painful time. I think I've done all of them at least once, some more times than I can count. No one begrudges you the grieving process, even those of you who had time to prepare during a long, drawn-out illness. Nothing hurts more than losing someone you love forever. BUT, even though it never stops hurting, it is not your go-to excuse for behaving like a fucking moron years and years later. Let me put it in a way that hits you in the jejunum, when you act like a twat, using your loss as an excuse, you are actually shitting all over that person's memory. Shame on you!
What you do now, how you treat people today, those actions are a choice, not predestined to happen based on your past. Reactions to life are chosen not forced upon you by bad memories. We were all born with free will, and as adults it's our responsibility to exercise it with caution and consideration for others. More than likely, the people in our lives now, have no connection to our past whatsoever and do not deserve to suffer the repercussions of the sins of others. I don't know how else to tell you to stop being such a fucking ass monkey. No matter what happened before, how you behave today is what counts. Don't use your past as an excuse to be an asshole.  Are you friggin kidding me right now???