Crossed

I don't believe a person could get through life without being crossing in some way. Humans running foul of other humans is human. Whether it's a mere peccadillo, small misdemeanour, or indiscretion or an outright crime or serious offence people will, by nature, transgress, or cross other people.

It's happened to greater or lesser degrees to me and I've dealt with it in various ways; mostly well, sometimes not.

Picking one's battles is a phrase that comes to mind and I've learned the knack of weighing and measuring situations, determining impact or implication on me, the individual who caused it and other factors prior to deciding if and how to act; sometimes it's best to just move on rather than take other actions.

Having said that, on occasions I've had to straighten people out like a piece of wire, and I'm pretty good at it.

Being passionate means I bring passion to everything I do and that can mean good or bad things depending on how the pendulum happens to be swinging. I can be dispassionate on occasions too, where appropriate.

There's times I've been crossed in which I've decided affirmative action is required and I've acted strongly, efficiently, in a calculated manner, and with brutal effectiveness. I'm not a man to resort to rage though, that takes a person to a state of being out of control control and it's not my way, but I have applied myself vigorously and done what was required, when required.

When I'm crossed I feel certain ways depending on who has done it, what was done and the ramifications of the act: Sad, disappointed, unhappy, angry, victimised, happy sometimes because I get to act on it, and many other things besides. But acting on feelings isn't always often the right way to go and acting rashly can be a terrible way to go.

My decisions are never made without thought, and that happens within the moment and, often, after careful contemplation...My father taught me the count to ten method of thinking before I act, and I still do it; it's amazing the clarity that small gap or detachment can bring. Ok, sometimes I only count to one and the hammer drops, but mostly it's ten. Well, let's call it a solid eight...Hmm, maybe around about five is the number, or less than that.

Seriously though, when crossed it's often time to think first, not act...of course, the feeling part usually comes before the thinking part, and there's situations in which instant action is required; One must know when to hold and when to drop the hammer with all of one's might, or so I believe.

It's difficult to talk about it from a distance like this as there are so many different parameters and moving parts to the transgressions people commit against each other, but it's nice to think about it objectively and when not in such a position or moment as that gives rise to clarity; it's clarity of thought that helps cause the right actions to be taken.

What's most pertinent, is understanding that people will cross us and we have the ability to determine the effect it has, the way we feel and think and certainly the manner and degree in which we respond, or if we respond at all; I believe, in doing so, we take greater control of our lives and actions. I'm not saying we shouldn't act, in fact I believe there's times when action is the only course and exactly the right thing to do, it's just that one must do so for the right reason, in full comprehension of the likely fallout and commensurate to the transgression. (Usually.)

Has anyone ever crossed you, committed some kind of transgression? Feel free to explain it very briefly, if you would like, and let me know how you handled the situation and if you feel you could have done more, or less. Of course, if you simply want to make a comment or observation, you can do that too.