Lesson's Learned #1

When I was 16 or 17, I was at the park skating with some friends. (As in a board, with wheels. And yes, I had a driver's license and a car. Well, it was my brother's car, but he was gone, so I got to drive it.)

Anyways, some little punk kid of about 11 or 12 was there and he started calling us names and trading insults with the guys I was with. I can't remember exactly what was said, but after a few minutes, the poor little guy sat down and burst into tears.

I went and sat by him and he told me that nobody liked him and everyone was always calling him names. So, I put my arm around him and told him that he was ok.

The lesson I learned was that sometimes people start talking out of emotion, rather than anything else. He was upset about something in his life, so just came up and started taking it out on us.

I have since learned that anger is a secondary emotion. It usually follows after some other disappointment or hurt of some sort.

So, when someone reads you the riot act, maybe it has nothing to do with what they are telling you at all. On the other hand, maybe you just really made them mad.