In my line of work, I’m a TAFE teacher, I constantly meet new people, get to know them fairly well, well maybe not their life well, but I spend at least 16 hours per week face to face with them, so I do get to know their personalities well.

As a teacher I constantly try to distance myself from my students. I always tell myself, I am not their friend (although some of them I’d really like to be friends with) and I am not their mother (some of them seem to desperately need one). Some people I just like, and some people I just don’t. Whether I like them or not, I also always try, try, try to give them the benefit of the doubt. I don’t know what’s going on in their lives, why should I? I know sometimes I’ve had no sleep, I’m worried about someone or something, something has happened to me or to someone close to me. I rock up to class, I’m tired, I’m a bit cranky, I’m underprepared. But I’m on time, I’m with it and I run the class.

Why are some people so hopeless / such idiots? They are never on time, they don’t seem to care about anything? They don’t even pick their feet up off the ground when they walk? Bloody hell, I can get here and be present in mind and body, why can’t they? This is when I say to myself “Rachel, you don’t know what’s going on in their life right now. You don’t know what has happened to them throughout their whole life. It might be really amazing for them that they’re here at all”. But for how long do I keep saying that? And is it really helpful anyway?

When they don’t do their work and I have to fail them I take it so personally, like I have failed as a teacher. But when I have to talk to them about it I think I am very good at being really matter-of-fact. I just tell them why they have failed, what they need to do to pass and how to get help. So often though it’s that ‘ye olde case of horse -> water??? When do I get to say “Meh, you’re just an idiot!”

And in my life more generally some people I just don’t like.... as a person. I just don’t like them. Is that judging? Why can’t I be more compassionate towards them? But why should I, it’s OK to just not like people.

Wow, there’s some serious rambling going on here. I guess there is no answer to this. You have to treat every person and situation on a case by case basis. Does anyone else think like this?