I've encountered a lot of dicks in my life. In this case, I'm talking about people who aren't nice to me... we'll leave the other kind of dick encounters for another time.
Growing up, my family moved around a lot making me the "new girl" many times. My parents are very good to me, leading people to believe that I was (and still am) "fed with a silver spoon." I am blonde, with blue eyes, big boobs and long legs which may sound nice, but for some reason leads people to believe my world is perfect. I share my life with strangers on the Internet so I'm an easy target. The list of things that make me susceptible to being bullied goes on and on, so I am pretty used to it. That doesn't mean I'm not affected, but I have come to accept that people can be assholes.
For the past several months, a woman in particular has done everything she can to bring me down. She has humiliated me in public, she has said horrible things about me to anyone who will listen, she has immensely criticized my writing and this last week she played a card that could have broken me.
But it didn't -- Because of the people in my life who matter. Since the day that this card was played, different friends have been at my apartment every night with wine, pizza, Thai food, screeners, board games and tequila. Friends that don't live in LA have sent SoulCycle classes, Starbucks cards, flowers and (more) booze. My favorite fitness instructors have offered to have me as a guest in their classes. I've been taken out to dinner and movies. My dad has called nearly every day to tell me a joke. People have really shown up.
I work very hard at maintaining my friendships. That is not me bragging, it's simply a very important part of who I am. And for the last week, I have been hugely reminded that how you treat others is exactly how others will treat you. I believe that how much I put into relationships is how much I get out of them. I believe love is reciprocal. And I believe these things because they've been proven to me.
I do not wish ill will on this woman by any means. What I do wish is that people will stop being terrible to other people.
Be nice to others. Don't be a dick.