Red Flag.

So, in times past when I've reached this point in my life I've dyed my hair. Red. Usually the brighter the better. I am not dying my hair this time so instead this is your red flag. This is the last warning that I am declaring no quarter.

Don't be emo at me. I know you have problems in your life. I get that. I still love you and I will go back to the regularly scheduled bitching sessions when I have a little bit of breathing space between me and psycho killing machine. Because, right now, I really want to punch you  in the face. Pretty much everyone on the planet can substitute their face and have it be true. What did you do wrong? Not a damn thing. You're being you. You're even being the amazing you that I love and adore. I just have no patience now. None. My tolerance meter is red-lined and until I decompress some, every little thing just sets me off.

If it's something you can fix and won't, don't whine at me. I'm just going to give you a few ways I think you can fix it, and then I 'm going to get upset when you have a BS reason why that won't work.

If it's something you can change and won't, don't whine at me. For the same reason as above.

If you need your ego stroked because you're feeling under the weather, don't come to me. I'm just going to tell you to get some fucking self esteem. I'll give three or four reasons why I think you're amazing. When you disagree with me, I'm going to get pissed. First, because you're bashing yourself. Second, because you are looking me dead in the eye and telling me that I'm wrong. Which I'm not, because if I were, I wouldn't be friends with you, now would I?

If I disagree with you and you call me stupid, foolish, a zombie or sheep, do not cry when I react. I will get pissed. I will tell you exactly why you need to drop that line of conversation, and if you choose to continue I will cease conversing with you and cut you out of my life. My friends aren't clones of me. We don't need to agree with each other all the time. My friends can debate and even argue without it turning to name calling. My friends don't force me to agree with them. If you can't do those things, you are obviously not my friend.

If I disagree with you and you cry at me, do not be surprised when I don't care. I am not here to be your clone. Don't expect me to be. I will try to be polite while I adjust and relocate some patience. Please don't push it with behavior that irritates me when I'm at normal levels of stress.

If you want me to tell you that it's ok that you're doing *insert some action here* when it is deliberately harming yourself or someone else, PARTICULARLY if you're doing it because you don't want to man up, don't be surprised when I don't tell you it's ok. Especially don't be surprised if I tell you why I think you need to man up instead. DOUBLY IMPORTANT, don't cry at me when I do tell you to man up.

Don't be a dick.

Quite frankly I have a million problems in my life right now. Here... let me make this super clear I have a million problems in MY life. Bringing it back to me. And you know what, that's where it needs to be. I need to deal with my own shit. I barely have enough patience to deal with my bullshit. Where on earth am I going to get the patience to deal with yours? The patience gnomes, they don't visit those who just quit smoking. They don't love us.
Further, this is not a cry for help or a cry for attention. I am quite capable of dealing with my own problems. I am doing just that. No, this is not a cry for help, this is simply letting you know who, what, where, why. I believe in transparency.  Particularly when it may help diffuse tense situations or avert them altogether. I am simply saying that I do not have the coping skills for both your problems and my own. That's all.