Circumstantial Evidence

I had a conversation today that strayed from whatever it was we were supposed to be talking about onto the subject of 'flashbacks'. For those not familiar with the term, a flashback (in movie terms) is a scene that is inserted into the narrative of a film that takes place before most or all of the other events that are shown. It's used for exposition, to explain back-story, or just to tell the audience something important that the screenwriter/director couldn't work into the timeline of their story.

Don't you sometimes wish that you could flash-back to see someone you know well at a critical time in their life? Not to be voyeuristic, but to begin to unravel a wee bit of what makes them tick. Other people are continually rubbing us up the wrong way because (surprise) they're different to us - not only because they were born unique, but also due to the fact that each one of us has lived through a unique set of circumstances that's molded and tempered our minds irreversibly. We all have quirks and glitches - but they're in different places. If we could understand a little more of what's gone into peoples personality packages, we might be inclined to be a bit more tolerant. Yes, your old neighbour is a grump - but his wife died a year after they married. Yeah, that kid is a little snot - but he's never heard of his dad and his mum's an abusive alcoholic. Not excuses - just partial explanations. We all have choices to make, but for some (and to varying degrees this true of everyone) the odds are bad, the dice are loaded and the deck is stacked. Trying rise above those kind of circumstances is well nigh impossible. But not quite. Before you throw up your hands in despair and declaim I am the product of my environment! consider this: you may well be - but do you have to be? Life is ugly, nasty and very strong - but like all the giants in the storybooks he can be beaten.