Wouldn’t it be cool if we could see people’s residue before they get too close to us? You know, all of the grimy, filthy, smelly dirt caked on their skin? Sure, we can easily take a hot shower to remove sweat and dirt from our physical beings. However, there are traces of invisible traits the eyes can never see. Some of us are looking good, smelling good and portraying the image of everything….good. Deep down this is often not the case. We all have residue resting on our skin from our environment and upbringing.

No one is exempt from the residue. Some of us have green smudges (envy) smeared all over our bodies. Then there are others who blend in with the masses, despite blue hues (sadness) of confusion. Let’s not forget those who have red scars and bruises (love). We all have enough demons to battle without carrying the weight of anyone else’s. However, we make the mistake of thinking we can heal our wounds by piling on more residue. We surround ourselves with other broken people (with edges even more jagged than our own), expected to be made whole.

Dirt plus dirt will never equal cleanliness. The sooner we realize that, the better off we will all be. Nonetheless, one person should not carry the heavy load of being responsible for our happiness or misfortune. We are products of what we experience and who we allow to get close to us. Sometimes it’s not even worth wracking our brains trying to figure out why people do the crazy things they do. Just blame it on the residue. People react to certain situations based on the own dirt they are carrying and the dirt they’ve accumulated from other people. Isn’t that just a gritty, slimy mess? In the meantime, let’s all worry about keeping ourselves clean, while remaining cautious of who rubs off on us.