We may have gone to school together. We may have worked together. Or perhaps we briefly crossed paths in a store somewhere. Did we date? Were we friends? Or have we never met but you clicked on this letter out of curiosity?
As a big advocate of self-reflection, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Fear not hurting my feelings. I know I'm tough, and I'll handle any criticism with respect.
Without further ado, I greet you. Hi, how have you been? I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes about a certain topic. It's not a major concern but I am curious what you think of me. Do you think I'm smart? Am I an idiot once in a while? Am I funny? Does my sense of humor confuse you?
Perhaps I should explain myself a little. I tend to be rather misunderstood. My odd sense of humor comes from my inner-cynicism. My cold silence when I first meet people comes from severe anxiety. My lack of enthusiasm for work (and sometimes life) stems from being on the wrong path away from my dream. Hopefully, this makes the rest of this letter more understandable.
If you think I'm a bitch: chances are it's only my social anxiety. I like living in my little world and sometimes I have to safeguard from human contact as much as possible. If I didn't talk much or kept my responses short it's because I'm still shy and couldn't think of anything else to say while inside my shell.
If we haven't talked in months or years: life gets hectic and I am forced to focus on my immediate surroundings. As you probably know, I'm a rather single-focused mind. And when life gets bogged down with 50-hour work weeks, paying bills on schedule, constantly cleaning the house, and worrying about the future, my social life goes by the wayside. It is sad and the friendless feeling weighs on my shoulders. But I do promise I will reconnect with you. Please don't give up on me.
If we are no longer friends: I have my reasons. I don't end friendships for no reason. Chances are, you wronged me and I put an end to it. You can probably guess what happened. Either you lied to me, used me, or treated me like shit. I'm pretty relaxed with people but if you screw me over enough I will cut it off. If you're reading this and thinking about reconnecting, send me a message. I am open-minded. If you want to be friends again - let me know. Let's talk.
If we work together: I have a silly question. Am I as useless as I feel? I have a lot to learn about the world and it hinders my work. Lack of knowledge...occasional lack of motivation....it just brings me down. With crippling anxiety, I am liable to slack on my work without intending to do bad work. I have yet to find my niche in the world and working hard in areas of the world I don't enjoy becomes quite difficult. Please have patience with me.
To all others who've crossed paths with me in other areas of the world: I hope I made you smile.