2014-11-1 – The mantra these days is “I gotta be me!” It’s everywhere: in politics and self-help. Don’t tread on me! Stand your ground!

Well you be you, you selfish twit. I’m going put the kibosh on me being me.

Okay, maybe that’s going a bit too far. If I’m not going to be me, who am I going to be? I’m not going to be you, that’s for sure. But all this crapola you see on Facebook and elsewhere about jettisoning everyone in your life who’s maybe having a bad hair day is—full of shit.

The people we love are not going to be on their best behavior day in and day out. If you can’t cut us some slack, what kind of person are you? Isn’t there some sort of happy medium between giving up your identity and adopting the identity of a selfish prig?

I’m not talking, of course, about someone who is abusing you. If someone is abusing you, get rid of them. But wearing polka dots is not abuse. Being tired is not abuse. Forgetting your keys is not abuse. There’s plenty in this world that IS abuse, but everything that displeases you isn’t abuse.

So let’s get this straight. If you’re gonna be so picky, I’m through wit’ ya.