Posted 16 January 2014 - 08:16 AM
A friend of 15 years is on a downward spiral socially. He's always been rather rude, but in that endearing way that there's that guy who'll be cheeky or will call things what they are without any scruples. Well, last few months he's been becoming just rude, plain and simply rude, to people who did him no wrong. Once people say they've had enough he just calls them traitors and fails to see any fault with himself. He's becoming more and more alone every week. A year ago at New Years' there were like 50 people at his party, this year there were 10 of us at most. And the number is shrinking.
He's always been a bit of a... well, storyteller, and we always knew to take what he says more like fiction than reality (well, except the professional side, he's a pretty good lawyer). But lately he's started to just plain lie to people about others behind their backs. IE he's been telling people he used to date another friend of mine and his, which they weren't ever even for a day, not even close. He's also decided to tell everyone he ever meets that me and the gf won't make it, and tells different people that one of us or the other did or said something that's completely untrue as well. It's sad, pathetic even, but it's starting to get rather annoying.
Seems he'll get more "disappointing" people out of his life. Tough break.
It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.