Social Pariah

In the book “How To Lose Friends & Alienate People”, British journalist Tobey Young detailed how he left London for New York to become a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. Other Brits had taken Manhattan – Alistair Cooke, Tina Brown, Anna Wintour – so why couldn’t he? But things did not go according to plan. Within the space of two years he was fired from Vanity Fair, banned from the most fashionable bar in the city and couldn’t get a date for love or money. The book is Mr. Young’s best-selling account of the five years he spent steadily working his way down the New York food chain, from glossy magazine editor to carsh-test dummy to interactive sex toys.

I can’t help but relate to this fabulous read. Two years ago, I was on my way up the food chain, I was on top of my game. Then it became downhill after. I have become a social pariah, nobody wants to be near me lately. Becoming jobless is bad, but being friendless is another. Now I have come to realized that people do look up to winners, and avoid losers. Thanks to a handful of real friends, I am able to survive each day. Those who have promised the moon and the stars, made tantalizing plans with me, they have all gone kaput. As they said, charity delayed is charity denied. Well, I can’t blame them, looking back, the foundation of our so-called friendship is not that too deep. I still pray for them in my daily mass, at least I rather take the higher ground. The world is round, and this too shall pass. And when the day comes, at least I will be more picky with whom I shall call friends. For now, beggars cannot be choosers, so I am stuck with these so-called “friends”.