“What is this feeling so sudden and new?” “Fervid as a flame, does it have a name”? Yes…Yes. Loathing! Unadulterated loathing!” “And I will be loathing, loathing you my whole life long.” (Wicked) Remember, Galinda and Elphaba “loathed” each other from the time they met. Like Glinda, “I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow, IF WE LET THEM”. But do we really know if “we help them in return”? “Well, I don't know if I believe that's true. But I know I'm who I am today because” of the people I have known and the encounters we have shared... Throughout my life I have encountered those whom I initially “loathed”. But as I got to know them, they became some of my best friends, even if “we may never meet again in this lifetime.” There are others who have changed the trajectory of my life in ways I never imagined. Like Elphaba, I can only “ask forgiveness for the things I've done [they] blame me for”, with the caveat that “there is blame to share”. And in some cases, I have had to fight the urge to “loath” these individuals for the rest of my life. However, is it true that “none of it seems to matter anymore”? I contend, it only matters if the encounter has left you “better” or “bitter”. Just one letter, just one encounter, can make all the difference. In the end, everyone needs to grapple with the outcome. Will those trajectory changes you face lead to good or to evil? Do the events that occurred cause you to want to change things to benefit (e)veryone, or is it all about me (I)? Either way, every encounter with someone new will change your life for good...a double entendre. No matter whether the influence is positive or not, the encounters we have in life have a significant impact on the lives of others.