Cori, If I may, I'd like to tell you a story.
I have a friend, a young Latino man who is about as close to being born gay as you can get. His family is into a particular Craft, I forget the name, but it's very important to them and they take their craft seriously. He practiced like they did, but what he was you could only become if you'd survived death.
Now, because of his heritage, he was often ridiculed for being gay. And because of his position in his family's craft, he was considered dark and evil. By society, doctors, and police, he was considered insane. Legitimately, certifiably insane. He had been put down, beat up, and walked on for so long that he believed these lies to be true. His walk had taken him down some very dark roads, and by the time we got to know each other, he considered himself to be a lost cause.
Then something happened in his life that he needed a place to stay. I had an extra room, so I took him on as a roommate. The better I got to know him, the more I began to see that this young man was kind, generous, gentle, cared deeply for others, and had a creative genious that you don't often find. Sure, he was eccentric. But I could see at a glance that he wasn't evil or even insane. He was just surrounded by close-minded idiots.
I started trying to show him what I saw. I wanted him to see the truth of himself, and stop believing the lies he'd been fed his entire life. We had a lot of long, deep talks, and he started trying to free himself. I saw a huge improvement, even in the short time that he stayed with me.
He has gotten himself back to school, and is doing well. His family has started treating him with more respect, and whenever I see him he is calmer and happier than he ever was when he first moved in with me. He is able to handle the lows life brings a lot better than before, and I know he has a much better opinion of himself than he once did.
The point I'm trying to make is that you should take a step back, and look into your heart. Are you a good person? Take away what everyone else has said. Listen to the inner voice that we all have. Your heart knows if you're a good person or not. And if you are, then nothing else matters.
There are all kinds of good people in this world, people worth knowing, and the best part if it is, they're all so wonderfully different. You don't have to be a wealthy white Christian in order to be "good". All you have to do is stand and be true.
Personally, I've found a healthy balance between compassion and not giving a damn...been working like a charm!
