"OVERLOOKED?" in "WRITER@WORK: Stories From A Lone, Urban Girl"

Once upon a time, I wrote a bitter haiku poem with that title. ‘Overlooked?’ I forgot where that is, but I remember one thing about it:

I was still a bitter, disappointed idealist. I’d been taught that if you played nice, then the whole world would automatically notice you.

If they like what they see, then they’ll be nice to you too. You’ll be loved, instead of being overlooked.

Right. I was still just a kid. A lame excuse, though. I should’ve known better.

I know that now, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. I just have to accept it. It’s just the way it is. Easy? Not really. You can call this the price of growing up.

You don’t always get what you want. You get what you need, though. Sounds familiar? It’s true.
The problem with believing that you always get what you want are greed, laziness, and arrogance.

What you want may never be enough. It doesn’t matter how much and how often you get it, though. You always want some more.

Getting everything so easily will definitely result in laziness. You stop making more effort and just sit back with your hands behind your head. You wait and no longer appreciate what’s been given to you or the process to gain something.

Just because you’re used to getting anything you want all the time and oh-so-damn-easily, you become arrogant. You think the whole world owes it all to you. You feel more entitled and that you deserve the privilege.

In short, you’ll endanger yourself slipping back into immaturity. The possible tantrum. The “life-is-unfair-to-me” attitude. Playing the victim.

I’m glad I forgot where my “Overlooked?” haiku poem is now. I don’t want to remember how childish and arrogant I was.

I just need to keep moving forward. That’s all.

R.