Users

User. There are many definitions for this word. But in general, it just means "someone who uses something". Plain and simple. It's usually connected with another word to describe someone, such as a magic-user for some games. But if you think about it, there's a deeper meaning to this four-letter word. People are known to be "users". But what does this mean?

Imagine being in class. When the teacher announces that there is group or pairs work, the person behind you would suddenly tap you in the back and ask to be partners. Since you see that everyone else already has partners, you agree. That person would stand up and pull a chair close to you. And during the entire activity, he/she would just watch you. They would ask a random question every now and then regarding what you're doing, but wouldn't pay attention to your answer. Instead, they would just play with their hair or doodle. No contributions whatsoever. And after all that, they would insist that their name would be written first. He/she would take the paper and pass it to the teacher, probably as a compensation for not actually helping.

Now THAT is what you call a user.

Did anyone particular come to mind when you read that? Well, a few people popped into my mind while I was typing that. I've been a victim of a user's laziness. I remember many group projects when only a couple of us actually worked while the rest were just there as spectators. And trust me when I say this: I does NOT feel good to be used. I mean, who would like that?

Well lately, I've been feeling pretty USED. My friends come over to my place all the time just to play, sleep, or just chill, even when I'm out. I've been pretty busy lately with stuff like my academics and activities from my professional organization at school, but my friends have been pretty relaxed. That's why they're just at my place during breaks. While they're off playing around, I'm busy stressing myself out with extracurricular activities. Doesn't that seem kinda unfair?

So why don't I just leave them be and ban them from my condo? Well that's easier said than done. I have this fear of being alone (weird seeing that I'm living alone right now) and I get a feeling that if I don't let them get what they want, my friends might leave me. You might be thinking now "If they leave you, they're not your real friends and they aren't worth it." but again, when you're scared of being alone, you won't care if they're true friends or not. What's the difference as long as you have people around you, right?

Thankfully, a few of my friends noticed how I felt and decided to approach me about all this. I shrugged it all of and explained my part of the story and how I couldn't do much about the current situation. They recommended that I just talk to my friends about it, but I chose not to follow. Unlike most people, I can't bring myself to confront anyone about an issue that only concerns me. If it wasn't my condo but a friend of mine, it would be a lot easier to talk about it, but sadly, that isn't the case.

I'm not one to complain to their faces, so that's why I just vent it all out with my other friends or here. They probably won't read this blog anyways, so I'm not worried. And if ever they do read this particular post, I'd like it better if they just disregard everything they just read. I don't care if I'm being used. I don't want them to change because of something I said. If they were to change, I want it to come completely from them. I don't wanna be the bad guy though, so I'll just shut up now.