Not Everyone is Going To Like You

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve felt a burning desire to have other people like me; to be accepted. It’s not unusual to want to fit in with other people, and perhaps you can relate. Often when I didn’t feel accepted by other people, I thought the problem lay with me. But a recent interaction with a rather extreme neighbour was an opportunity in disguise to learn otherwise.

A few years back I moved into a block of flats in a neighbourhood not far from where I’d previously been living for several years. I knew the area well, but the immediate neighbours were all new. It wasn’t long before I met a neighbour who I’ll call Edward, who lived upstairs in the same building quite close to me. At first he was friendly and appeared very charming. A little too charming perhaps, to the point of being a bit … Continue reading…