evergreen_____

I've lived here for a long time. This town is a tightly knit community for its size, and so it feels smaller than it is. It's interesting to watch new people cope with the incestuous nature of this city.

Everyone you meet here knows someone you know, or has touched someone you have touched. People are shared, and in a lot of ways, that's how we like it. It almost becomes a culture, and it can suck for you, or be a beautiful existence, depending how you approach it.

When something goes wrong between people, it causes a ripple through everyone, and that can be hard. But most of us learn to manage such storms with social tact out of necessity. Bitterness will drain a person so fast in this town because the fallout surrounds you always. To others, this "fix it" approach can be seen as blase, but it's simply the best way to thrive here. You manage the emotions of things, make it okay, and move along.

I spent the night at a yearly gathering, in a room full of people I love, people I know, and people who know the people I know. Included were people I have touched, people I have hurt, and people who have hurt me. What prevailed was that subtle nod to the past, a mutual respect, and a genuine interest in a person.

But there is this one rift. This little world, working the way it does, is making life hard for someone. In turn, the effects are felt by everyone, and it's not fair. I want to fix this for her so desperately, and settle things out for the sake of everyone. It's been my role for a long time to find that common ground between people and make things better for people who are hurting. I cannot heal this particular wound, however, because I am the source of it.

It keeps me awake at night and affects the flavour of everything.