Being Second Rank

I have always felt under supported. Not by my close family but by my friends. I see other people whose friends support everything that they do. They share their work, watch their YouTube videos, buy what they sell, do whatever they can to help support their friends. Yet every time I ask for support it seems like I am asking someone to move mountains.

This isn’t applicable to each of my friends or family, but the vast majority. For example, I have always used several apps to make some extra cash. I usually use it as spending money during holidays or summers when I am working less hours, but have since been using it as a way to help save for debt. I also run this blog, and have not once had a single friend or someone beyond my parents share anything that I’ve written. I have maybe had one or two of them ever download an app when I have asked them too, when these never have any cost and always reward them cash as well. I let these small frustrations go, but never understood why a friend cannot support a friend in simple ways.

My articles are what gets me more disappointed than anything else. I have written about difficult times in my life, several experiences of mine. I have spent hours and even days writing articles about things that are not easy for me to share and the support I receive in return is abysmal. They do not contribute to my reads (which I receive monetization for) or even acknowledge that they have read them. I make it a point to share each of my posts on all my social media platforms so I can ensure my friends will see it. Missing some posts? Understandable. Never acknowledging any of them? Inexcusable.

To top that off, I work MLM for two different companies. Not a single sale I have made (over $1500) has ever been from a friend or family member (outside of my mother). I try to not get hung up on this because I do not ask that people spend money, but nonetheless, it is yet another area the people who should want to support me do not.

There isn’t just the feeling of receiving no support. Being the second rank friend (or even family member) means always being pushed to the side. My presence is rarely asked for and if I do not reach out, I am often times not included.

Why do I write this? I have been hesitant to for a long time. I don’t expect the people in my life to be reading this, but I’m hoping someone else who feels their endeavors are not supported or that their presence is under-appreciated know that these feelings are felt by many. The frustration of almost begging for support in even the simplest ways is unmeasurable and unfair. If the people in your life can’t take a few minutes every so often to help support you in even the smallest ways, what does that say about the relationship? If your presence isn’t requested what does that say about the time you do spend with them? It’s never a good feeling, but I guess these things happen.

If you are struggling with the frustration from similar problems, I hope you get the support and recognition you work so hard for. I hope your friends can make small sacrifices of their time to help you out.

If you are questioning whether or not you may be making people in your life feel this way, be a little more introspective. Think how you would feel if you spent hours a week, several days a month working on something to receive little recognition or acknowledgment. Think of the relationships you have and how often you pay attention to each of your friends. Check on your friends regardless. I also encourage you to compare the time and money you spend supporting the work of celebrities compared to your friends and work on changing that. Imagine tweeting about the work of your friends as much as you tweet about what you have been watching on Netflix or about the products you bought that your favorite celebrity only posted about after being paid just to post.

Refocus your energy on the people who you claim to care about!!