Hannah's quick shark sketch

"Don't bleed in the water."

This was in regard to not getting something I really, truly wanted and felt I deserved. To make matters worse I knew I would be in close quarters with the same people who denied me and was unsure how to act. My best friend put me on the phone with her mother. Someone who day in and day out is required to tactfully handle uncomfortable situation. I was upset and she bestowed upon me her wisdom. "Girlfriend, don't bleed in the water," she consoled. She was right, people can be like sharks, they want to know if they got under your skin, they want to see you hurt. Just like any bully in middle school, don't let them know they got to you. Because if they know it, not only do they "win" but you have put them in the position of power they sought after.
Because of her wise words I'm still friends with some of the people (as equals) and I'm not friends with some of them (because I didn't give them what they wanted.) What mattered was that I kept my head up. I accepted that I didn't have the power to change the situation, but I did have the power to change how I handled it.