Day 20: I just wanted to say .....

An old post from 2013 popped up because some asshole posted a spam comment on it today. In it I had written to a prompt I'd picked up from some other bloggers. "Pick 10 people and write out one thing you wish you could say to them. Do not identify who the people are. Just write them in list form. A number and then what you want to say."

As I looked back at that post, I realized a lot of those things I wished I could say were so far removed from my life now, I can't even remember why I cared. A lot has happened between then and now, so why not write a new list? And then 3 years from now, I can look back on it and wonder about some of them why I'd even bothered to care in the first place.

To be fair, others of those things on that old list are still true today. I'm not going to repeat them, but I will say it's the nicer ones that are still true. I should probably ponder that some day. But not tonight. Tonight ... the list.

1. I'm sorry people keep telling you everything will be OK instead of listening to your real and logical concerns. Everything is not OK. You are afraid for good reasons. All I can do is stand with you. I wish it were enough. We won't give up though.

2. Fuck right off. Own your actions and the consequences.

3. I admire your courage and your grit and your compassionate spirit. I wish I'd known you when you were younger. I'm glad we're friends now.

4. I can't believe you said that to me. It's going to change our relationship, whether you ever realize it or not.

5. I will always be here for you like a rock ... no, like a boulder. You're the one who will leave one day.

6. All the fine ideals and righteous anger in the world is worth nothing if you don't do the hard work that is right in front of you. It's too easy to say you'd stand up for strangers you'll never meet. Protect the people you know.

7. Thank you for listening. I feel less lonely and unlikeable knowing you hear me and you even agree with me much of the time.

8. I can't wait to see where your life takes you next. I know it's hard to see more than a few steps ahead, but you'll end up somewhere interesting, which is truly both a curse and a blessing. I believe in you.

9. Actually ...... just shut the fuck up.

10. You're a bully. Nobody will tell you because the awful fact is that people tend to like bullies. Or they pretend to like them so they won't get bullied themselves. It can go either way. Just know that I'm not afraid of you. I'll be back, and next time I'll be better prepared.

11. Nothing I've written here is about you, so stop trying to figure out which one it is. It's not all about you. And number 11 doesn't count, so even this isn't about you!

How about you? What are 10 things you'd like to say to people. Feel free to post in the comments. I promise I'll read and respond.