razor blade candy

flat character (n) - a character not fully developed who seems to represent a “type” more than a real personality .

the bully in the cafeteria who knocks down your food tray ... the neighborhood priest who always has kind, wise words ... the mobster bookie who threatens to cut your limbs off if you skip town ... grumpy old lady ... dumb jock ... stuck-up cheerleader ...

we have seen them on television shows, movies, & read them in books (hopefully) . they're these lazily drawn out archetypes of personalities that never seem to surprise us much . the books i like to read are the ones when the characters disappoint me or make me wonder about their actions . -it's realistic . often times, we like to think that people we meet day to day are flat characters . we like to drop people into two, clear cut containers labeled "HERO" & "VILLAIN" . there's no such thing . that's way too black&white to make any type of sense .

behind every person is a backstory . domestic violence, sexual assault, neglect, heartbreak, poverty, disappointment, and anguish . i told my friend yesterday that tragedy can cause one of two reactions out of people: (a) lashing out & scaring OR (b) gaining wisdom & understanding ... he told me i was wrong and said he experienced both reactions . he was right, and i didnt even take the time to realize that im the same way . - the true definition of a round character . now, i hope people dont use this as a crutch for doing grimey things or being dueche bags , im just saying this:

i dont believe in "good" and "bad" people . a person who did the most dirt will have the best testimony when they are ready to live right in the long run ...