AGAIN - people never change

I have been thinking about a lot of things - but mainly more because I need to know why I chose to 'miss' blaring loud traits that would have saved me a lot of time, effort, disappointments and also, more importantly, my friends, circle of friends' helping hands.

Thing is, this ungrateful person dropped hints about his failed personality from years ago.  None of us picked it up.

First hint - he would drink senseless - usually with his own group of friends at the popular St James or some small pub along the East Coast where he has his 'bottle' parked at the bar.  What we know is, most times he gets pissed drunk and sometimes, he 'looses' his way to his unit in his apartment block.   What is baffling - he is able to recount the embarrassment that he was, as table talk and it doesn't bother him.

Second hint - he expects people to 'do favors' for him - like pick up his mail, send it to him - he never thinks for a second, that people drive out of their way to do it, only because friends help out whenever.

Third hint - for the many festivities that people celebrate here - he has never once offered to buy a cake for his neighbor or a bar of chocolate or anything.  Usually someone has to twist his arm to get him to agree to giving someone something and he never was included in the money pool.  We are the type of people who engage in simple social gestures and we don't really bother to count the pennies in our kitty pool.

Fourth hint - a few times, when he disagreed with his aged mother, he raised his voice and gestured with his finger at her.  Those few times, I was there, and I corrected him, to his disgust.

BUT when he got into trouble with the authorities, he bawled his eyes out and swore to get revenge on those who wronged him.  That alone was odd because if one is drunk, how would one recall, if one committed a crime?  Given that one had a history of being pissed drunk, till one would fall flat on the ground and then pass out.

As friends, we all try to look at the better side of another - in the hope that they learn - there is enough misery in the world.

I should have known, he would revert to his selfish self, where he is above all.  Many of us, went to our respective praying houses to offer prayers for him, throughout the 3 years, waiting for the investigation to conclude.  He never accompanied any one of us; not even once. 

Lesson in point : Follow your gut, especially when troubling behavior did catch your eye before.  People do not change - they adapt to survive - but once they are on the 'freeway' they will revert to their useless being.