Is There a Point Where I Should Give Up On A Person?

One of the many things I have been asked over and over again as the Head of a Vampiric House and a Council Member of the Vampire Church is this…

“Is there a point when you should give up on a person?”

** I will also add here, that this is JUST my personal way of handling this kind of situation and is not a view shared by, backed by, nor even hinted at by any other member of the Council of the Vampire Church [or The Vampyre Coven] or its Elder. We each have our own hearts and follow them when confronted with this situation**

Man is this ever a hard question to answer, but I have attempted to answer this the only way I know how.

That would wholly depend on you honestly answering these questions… Do you, yourself want someone to give up on you? Do you honestly want the people around you to walk away and not try again?

I find myself tossed in this situation daily, especially in the vampiric community.

Take this for an example. I have a friend who is a chaotic eclectic feeder. When things are perceived by him to be flying his way, he is mellow, calm, cool an collected, and quite honestly, one of the nicest people I know. Flip 6 this situation, however, and his whole attitude takes a nose dive. Paranoia runs rampant, and anger and threats of violence spew forth like Vesuvius the night Pompeii ceased to dream. An almost overwhelming darkness obscures his more intelligent side, throwing him far beyond what one could label as ‘his bestial nature’. It is really a sight to behold this Jekyll and Hyde routine played out in real life instead of on the Silver Screen.

Yet, as many times as I throw my hands up in frustration, swearing by all that I hold Holy that “I GIVE UP! I CAN’T TAKE THIS SHIT ANYMORE!!”, my Great Grandfather’s words hauntingly crawl up from the recesses of my mind.

“The Great Mother places protectors here to guide and protect even those who try our patience. It is these people who help define our life in more than just ‘how we do not want to be’, giving our life more than one simple dimension.”

So… I take a few steps back from the situation, find my center (which is sometimes a HELL of a lot harder than I would like to admit) and attempt to approach the situation with not only a different perspective, but hopefully with a different attitude, frame of mind and point of view/heart or whatever you wish to call it.

There is truly no easy way to approach this question, nor is this the proper method for EVERYONE to employ. This is only the method that works for me. I am quite different from others, as I maintain a more neutral stance on a lot of issues. Most must simply use trial and error with those they name as ‘friend’, and that is so very hard sometimes, especially with the advent of the Internet providing many with the anonymity that face to face doesn’t allow.

Although the anonymity is a good thing in some instances, allowing people who feel that they can’t be themselves in public more strength to be that behind the screen and keyboard, it also allows for those ‘imposters’ (and this is a strong word I realize, but I see no real way to describe someone who pretends to be something else over the net to accomplish their goals) to infiltrate organizations and begin, either their recruitment of members to their side with anti-organizational propaganda, unabashed disrespect of that organizations leadership/council, or some other such nonsense. It can get quite disheartening if you ponder on the negative aspects of the Internet’s anonymity factor. I choose to look at the positive. Always have and probably always will.

Well. I guess that I have rambled on long enough on this particular subject.

Vitae Dominae

Belfazaar Ashantison