Lani's Blog

You Like Me?

PROMPT: My family and friends love me. But they like me because . . .





Can I say straight up, I hate this prompt. Why do friends and family like me? I haven’t a clue. And if I did, I would probably mess it up.


This reminds me of a story. (You knew that was coming didn’t you?)





When I was in college trying to get into nursing school, I met with a guidance counselor. We did an interview/oral essay in her office. The questions seemed routine: why do you want to be a nurse, who were your influences, etc…





But her last two questions really threw me. Why do you like people and do they like you? I think I answered something like “People are cool, interesting and I love learning about them and helping them. I don’t why people like me.”





The counselor replied “Surely you have friends who like you.”





I answered, “Of course, I assume they like me. After all, we’re friends.”





“Lani, I know you from around campus. You have some fine qualities. You don’t know if people like you?”





“How can anyone know what’s in another’s heart? I can only go on their behavior. I hope they like me. I assume that they like me. I can’t know.”





“Sure you can.”





Oh please! What was the answer this counselor wanted so I can get out of here? And what answer is going to keep me out of nursing school?  I began to sweat.





“I really don’t know. I just hope to try to be a good friend to my friends.”





Scribbling furiously on a notepad, the counselor seemed disappointed at not finding whatever she was looking for in my answer. Thankfully that weird discussion didn’t keep me from nursing school.





These days, I still don’t really have a clue. Some of the lack of self-awareness is related to my ADD. Non hyper ADDers tend to be a little self-absorbed, a little spacey. We live at our speed in our own little worlds. I have been periodically taken to task by friends who felt my behavior was thoughtless, unkind or random. And it probably was but it was also because I was not paying attention to the situation.





How to end this? I didn’t mean this to be a self-absorb pity party.


I think I need a drink of this wine, the Milk of Human Kindness with Ghost of Christmas Present.




















Lani