Black and White Thinking

Do you know what I mean when I ask "do you think black and white?"  I was once accused of this, and then I thought about it and couldn't disagree.  Somewhere along the line I devised a scheme of thinking where my two buckets are "right" and "wrong".  I can immediately place a person's words, behavior, or actions into one of these buckets. If too often they enter the "wrong" bucket, they're cut out of my life if at all possible (unfortunately this doesn't work in the workplace, a whole other story).  I'm not saying that my buckets are correct and that I am the judge and jury.  These buckets are just what works for me and bring me sanity.  But make no mistake, these buckets I have created are extremely logical, and I'd challenge anyone that attempts to tell me I think too rigidly. 

This same person that accused me of being this way that told me that I should not think this way because there are many grey areas in life.  But she is now a miserable human being.  This is a woman who saw psychics for years that told her that her live-in boyfriend would change his mind and want kids, and this woman stuck it out with her man believing that this would be the case.  This woman is now 52 years old and childless, not something she wanted to be. But she did not think black and white.  This woman witnessed me having a child on my own, because I do not believe in psychics and instead believe you have to take charge of your own fate.  You cannot rely on ANYONE.  Could this be the reason this woman has left my life after 20 years?   Again, another story.

My black and white thinking has created much conflict in my life.  Family, friends, coworkers, and potential boyfriends have all fallen prey to my convictions.  However, one after the other has at some point acknowledged that they believed I was right and I time and time again feel vindicated after periods of doubt.  This is indeed a life of conflict, but it is a life I am proud of. I am honest, genuine, straight, moral, considerate, thoughtful, and unselfish. I have never lost myself to defense mechanisms that hurt others.  I see the world and all that is in it with the view of realism.   I am someone my daughter can be and hopefully will be proud of.  For all those that do not see things in black and white, I hope your grey areas do not hurt you or hold you back.  Protect yourself, and most of all, protect your innocent children.  There are many, many people out there who simply have to many issues of their own to care about you in the way you deserve.