I live rurally, and in my hometown, there was a guy who just never liked me in school. I was a different person then, shy and a bit sensitive, I guess. He was just a prick—I never felt intimidated by him, but he clearly thought he had higher social status than me.

Anyway, fast forward about 30 years, and I’m back in my hometown, married with kids. I spent over a decade away and studied, traveled, and worked all over the world. I’m now socially fairly confident and get along pretty well with most folk. I’ve met a lot of local people a bit younger than me, who wouldnt have known me at school, and got along well with them at social gatherings. And yet, this prick still either blanks me or, at least once or twice, has drunkenly tried to insult me publicly. I’ve laughed it off, but I strongly dislike the dude and hate that he acts superior, as I know he’s judging me for who I was, not who I am.

So yeah, I rarely see him, and if it wasn’t for the fact that I live in a smallish town, it would be no problem. I guess it just annoys me.