‹ Prequel: Bitter Goodbyes.
Status: Short Story.
Trust.
xx.
Trust, by definition, is the reliance on the integrity, strength, ability, and so on, of a person. Some people would say it's a form of hope. It's something you're taught when you're young. You're expected as a baby to trust your family. It's as simple as the surety that you won't be dropped when your daddy picks you up. As a little kid, you're expected to trust your baby sitter not to let anything happen to you. As a teenager, you're expected to trust people like your teachers, or your friends. But trust isn't something that comes easy. It takes work to build a relationship worth trusting. But how can you tell it's real? How do you know?
How can you tell when someone is being sincere? People say "You can trust me", but do they mean it? More times than not, people lie. They lie as much as they breathe. They promise to always be there and then BAM! When you need them, they're gone, or busy, or whatever other excuse they can come up with. And then they wonder why you shut down. Why you completely shut them out. It's so easy to do; to turn in on yourself, and solve all your own problems.
The real question now, is you solving them? Or are you simply avoiding them? It's easy to pretend things aren't real. It's just as easy to tell to people "I’m fine" because who really wants to pry? At some point, people just stop asking. Stop prying. Stop caring. Or at least, that's what you convince yourself is true. You don't stop to really consider how people do feel. Instead, you fix all your problems, feeling like you can only trust yourself. Besides, no one knows you better than yourself, right?
Wrong. The truth is you're blinded by your problems. The line between right and wrong is so thin that it doesn't take much for it to become blurred. One mistake can throw off your view. And then once that happens, it's so easy to convince yourself that you can fix things alone.
Maybe it starts off small. You tell yourself "I can fix this with one scratch. That's all it'll take. Then I'll feel better." And you do....at first. But it's not long before that's not enough. Then they get worse. Eventually, people start to notice. They try to offer you help but you're so convinced that they don't mean it. You're so convinced that you are the only one you can trust. But what you if you take it too far before you realize that that's not true? What if you're view is so completely blurred that you don't see what you're doing? Or what others could do to help you? What if it's too late?
Trust is scary. It takes so much strength and courage to trust someone. Maybe more strength than you have. But in the end, that's your decision. Learning to except help is terrifying, but maybe, just maybe, in the end, it's the best thing you could do. Trust may be too difficult, be maybe it's worth the risk.
How can you tell when someone is being sincere? People say "You can trust me", but do they mean it? More times than not, people lie. They lie as much as they breathe. They promise to always be there and then BAM! When you need them, they're gone, or busy, or whatever other excuse they can come up with. And then they wonder why you shut down. Why you completely shut them out. It's so easy to do; to turn in on yourself, and solve all your own problems.
The real question now, is you solving them? Or are you simply avoiding them? It's easy to pretend things aren't real. It's just as easy to tell to people "I’m fine" because who really wants to pry? At some point, people just stop asking. Stop prying. Stop caring. Or at least, that's what you convince yourself is true. You don't stop to really consider how people do feel. Instead, you fix all your problems, feeling like you can only trust yourself. Besides, no one knows you better than yourself, right?
Wrong. The truth is you're blinded by your problems. The line between right and wrong is so thin that it doesn't take much for it to become blurred. One mistake can throw off your view. And then once that happens, it's so easy to convince yourself that you can fix things alone.
Maybe it starts off small. You tell yourself "I can fix this with one scratch. That's all it'll take. Then I'll feel better." And you do....at first. But it's not long before that's not enough. Then they get worse. Eventually, people start to notice. They try to offer you help but you're so convinced that they don't mean it. You're so convinced that you are the only one you can trust. But what you if you take it too far before you realize that that's not true? What if you're view is so completely blurred that you don't see what you're doing? Or what others could do to help you? What if it's too late?
Trust is scary. It takes so much strength and courage to trust someone. Maybe more strength than you have. But in the end, that's your decision. Learning to except help is terrifying, but maybe, just maybe, in the end, it's the best thing you could do. Trust may be too difficult, be maybe it's worth the risk.