Choices

There are so many choices made by people that are obviously wrong from the point of view of others, but the individual making the choice is either blind or refuses to look.

I'm sort of a casual observer noticing many of these bad choices in people around me. Not that I've always made the best choices myself, but the reasons I don't do anything about my bad choices are my own. And maybe others would say the same about theirs:

Dropping out of school because, well, you hate school.

Taking a bad job because it was the best you could do at the time, or someone pressured you into it, or because you thought the money would make up for the misery.

Quitting a good job because someone pressured you, a "grass is greener" situation, or impulsively walking out when you were having a bad day.

Jumping into a bad relationship because you were lonely, or because you thought you could change the other person, or because you were afraid the music had stopped and she was the only chair left.

Getting hooked on drugs or alcohol because you wanted to seem cool for your friends. Then choosing your drug over everyone else; parents, spouse, children, friends.

Picking an abusive boyfriend over your own children.

Working as many hours as possible so you don't have to go home. Or hiding out in front of the TV to avoid family interaction.

Fighting too much over unimportant matters. Refusing to fight for important matters.

Rejecting people because of they way they look, what they do, how much money they have, or because they're boring. Wondering why you have no real friends, only superficial and self-absorbed social companions who wouldn't give you the time of day if you hit a rough patch.

Divorcing a spouse for the tired old, "The spark is gone." So much for promises made before God. What exactly could you be trusted to do?

Rationalizing bad behavior. "Those people over there do something even worse, so don't hassle me."

Missing key words from vocabulary: Empathy, Respect, Responsibility.

Losing faith.