Want to know something?

There are some people in my life who drive me absolutely, bat-poo-stinking Crazy.

There. I’ve said it. It’s so not politically correct, and it’s so not biblical, but oh boy oh BOY it’s true. Gosh. How rude. And before you ask, no it’s not you. Trust me. Well…maybe it is biblical. The bible never said we had to like everyone, just love them.

Big difference. I’m trying to teach my kids this.

I find this difficult. I’m a tolerant person. I’m not used to being driven crazy – bat-poo or otherwise – by anyone. But the thing is with that, I’ve also never got that close to some people to allow them to drive me crazy. Not really, personally-and-involved-ly close.

Do you get the difference?

It’s easy not to be racist when everyone is like you. It’s easy to want to help homeless people when they don’t sit next to you in church and smell bad. It’s easy to love people when people are distant entities that we don’t actually allow ourselves to get involved with.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like I’ve never loved anybody. I’ve got beautiful friends and a wonderful, wonderful husband. But they’re my friends (and he’s my husband) because they DON’T drive me crazy. It’s the other people, the ones you’ve got a choice about, that can get a bit iffy. Or whiffy, if you prefer. People that I like, most of the time; people that are around me due to circumstances beyond my control. You know the type. Yeah, you say…them.

Yes. Them. You’re with me now.

We have to love THEM.

Uh-huh.

Like I said, I’ve always been very good at tolerating them. I’ve been kind and polite and sensitive to their feelings and their needs. I’ve been, most of the time, generally understanding.

A funny thing happens though in life sometimes. Our circumstances change. The people that we hang with aren’t as close any more because of new jobs, new children, new cities, new lives, and suddenly we find ourselves lonely. Making new friends is hard, and tiring, and fraught with dangers, and all of a sudden we find ourselves calling the people that we’ve been tolerating for all this time, and we find ourselves telling them things we never thought we would, because deep down these people drive us crazy. And it’s risky, because suddenly we’re aware that we probably drive THEM crazy as well. That for all this time THEY’VE been tolerating US, and being sensitive and polite and kind, and most of the time generally understanding.

And then we realise that, in spite of ourselves, the weight of time has forged a bond that is stronger than we realise, and that, in spite of the fact that we do in fact drive each other bat-poo-stinking Crazy, there is – because of it and in spite of it – love.

Crazy, eh? Bat-poo Stinking.

And that is how, my friends, we make the world go round.