The photo above is how I am feeling this afternoon. Empty, chewed up, and feeling a little…well…betrayed. I have expressed this in Italian (which is rather embarrassingly rusty) as I am still living with the excellence of Lisa Scottoline’s latest book which made me channel my inner Italian.

So friendship is and always has been a big deal to me. We are only as good as our word in this life. Last night a friend, not an old for decades friend, but a more recently minted variety contacted me and flew completely and undeservedly off of the proverbial handle with me. Flipped out. Accusing me of craziness and “back stabbing” and what are we 12? Is this the 8th grade lunch table or something?

What happened in truth is people who don’t like them being friends with me, whispered in this person’s ear. I have never been anything but honest and straightforward with this person, and a friend. I got the big mad in addition on things where this person ASKED my opinion – I was not offering my opinion, there is a distinct difference. I also got a big mad from them over a conversation we never actually had.

So here we have another case of gossip and the human effect.

The person who flipped out on me sent a text to say they were sorry. That’s nice but what they did? Literally created in me a sense or feeling of betrayal: Un senso di tradimento. Sadly this makes this a trust issue. Which means if this heals, it will take time.

I can’t control what people whisper in someone’s ear. Not everyone has to like everyone else, but it is super sleazy to interrupt another human’s friendships just because you don’t like one of their friends, and it is that simple and you can simply choose not to be around that person when the mutual friend is with them.

I am also not a punching bag. Friends don’t treat friends like shit.

Trust is a big deal, so right now, I have got nothing except literally un senso di tradimento.