History

You will recall a bit ago when Herself was contemplating old scars and new wounds. A person had provided Herself with some information that appeared quite clearly to indicate that person had previously had an opportunity to come to Herself's aid in a time of great need, and yet had failed to do so.  Herself took the news hard.  With time, though, and with the help of those close to her, she assimilated the information and built the necessary protective wall around herself.  She moved on.

Yesterday, that person made some statements that directly contradicted certain of the statements she had made previously.

Herself was, briefly, beyond perplexed.  The new statements did not ameliorate or remove the betrayal Herself felt before.  Yet, it was as though a giant chunk of a puzzle dropped off of the table.  There was no longer a cohesive picture. It made no sense.

Quickly and decisively, though, Herself has come to the conclusion that the person in question has been seeking to create a bond based on some kind of sympathetic commonality of experience.  To do so, though, a different assessment of past events was required. It was not necessarily lying, per se - it was a reformation:  the person uses words and statements to unravel the fabric of history and reweave it as she would prefer it to be.

I am sure that we all at one point or another try to justify ourselves or to paint our view of our experiences in a way that puts us into the best -- or at least a better -- light.  When there is a common history with such vastly different viewpoints, though, it is easier to see when things are amiss. 

Herself is surprised that she is so at peace with the situation.  The walls she built have served their purpose:  she is protected.  While there will no doubt be other moments, right now, she has a glimmer of understanding.  That is good enough.