Empathy and NOTW

This is going to be a semi-rant. Just to warn you. I just got back from karate, tired, sweaty, making up this post as I go along, etc. Anyway, moving on to business.

It sometimes really sucks being an empathetic guy. When my friends are pissed, happy, sad, I tend to pick up on it a lot. By "pick up on it", I mean I sort of begin to feel like they feel. I think there's a level where that just happens to everyone, but I think it's a part of my personality where I feel it a bit more. (Maybe I'm wrong though, who knows?) It really sucks when, to use a real life example, a friend at school is crying because her dad is in the hospital and sick, and I'm hurting for her, but... I don't know what to say. I'm not very good at being [i]sym[/i]pathetic. I never feel like I can help. I do offer to listen, most of the time. But usually I get no answer in response, or "Thanks but ______ is talking to me right now, (s)he is really helping." So... all I can do is pray. I want to do MORE than that though. I (think) I'd like to be the one people come to to vent on, cry on, etc, but it just doesn't seem to happen. So, hey God, what do you want me to do with this?



Next issue, today on my way home from karate, I asked my dad (entirely hypothetically, I do not want a tattoo, piercing, or anything of the sort) what he'd say if I told him I wanted a tattoo. From there, the conversation went to what the Bible says to the tattoo, and how we're supposed to be "in the world not of it." And that stuck me. Being a people pleaser, I normally just go with the flow, try not to care too much about anything, because if I care, and people don't agree with my side, then I feel bad because we don't agree. So I don't say anything, when people mention getting high, swear, etc. But my dad was saying how we need to be set aside from the rest of the world. And I don't know exactly how I feel about that On the one side, I want to serve God, love him, and follow him. On the other side, I've got people in the world, who have the power to make me feel incredibly guilty if I don't agree, or at least "tolerate" their opinions. All this stuff going around about tolerance right now... Well how much do I tolerate? I'd really rather be the apathetic person who does nothing, than the fired-up conservative who acts out against homosexuality, teens doing drugs, and more. And then also there's the really liberal side, that pretty much says "anything goes" but is horrified by the war in Iraq, or when someone commits murder. I thought anything went?... I really don't think there's a line I can draw where "tolerate this, but not this" but I'm not sure I'm even near the vague regions of what's right.


Ha. Right after I finished that sentence, my writing inspiration just kind of sputtered and died. So guess this post is over.