An open letter to the people who doubted me, 
To all of you, I would like to apologize.

Wholeheartedly and without a shred of hesitation, I am sorry.  I wish not to take more of your time than I must to own up to the many injustices I have put upon you.  

To the all-knowing imbeciles, I am sorry- for giving you the impression that I care about what you think. It was not kind of me to give you such a thought, which is surely why you wasted your valuable time and energy.  I just watched as you put your heart and soul into dragging me down, but I just couldn’t bear to tell you I simply don’t care. 

To the anonymous gossipers, I am sorry-for allowing you to think you knew anything about me. I blocked you out of my life and gave you the wrong impression about me. You claimed I was arrogant, inconsiderate, selfish, and that I live in my own world. You weren’t there during my countless hours of practice that I put myself through, as I fought to escape the crumbling house around me. You weren’t there when I fought for my friend, no my family, to confront the monsters they buried in their past. You weren’t there when I decided that I would never let any child that went through what I did to ever be alone. My silence was not acceptance, I apologize for the confusion. 

To the manipulator, I am sorry- for never acknowledging your cries for my attention. I left you yelling into the void, pouring your energy into trying to hurt me but I just never had the consideration to respond. Although I know it wasn’t my attention that you so craved, I was just a tool for you to get others to talk to you. You know that our world is filled with victims of negativity, if you didn’t satisfy their addiction you would fall back behind the masses. Behind the cage that keeps you from ever escaping your own toxic personality. I apologize for not feeding into your problems. 

To the toxic relationships, I am sorry- that I never educated you about your misguided views. I let you stay in your trapped mindset, that will likely keep you chained to your inadequacies for the rest of your days should you not fight to free yourself. I was lucky that I was born free and was smart enough to stay free, as hard as you tried to take me down your crumbling path, I simply knew it was never meant for me.  But I could have stopped you, I could have at least tried to save you from yourself. I was too caught up in trying to keep myself safe to help you, I left you to yourself which is a worse fate than what you deserved. I apologize for never trying to help you. 

To the teacher who failed me, I am sorry- for completely shutting you out of my life. I know that you cared about me in your own way, or maybe needed me for whatever purposes you thought I wouldn’t find out. Your presence was just another obstacle in the way of achieving my goal, and like every obstacle before you I couldn’t let you stop me. You simply weren’t worth it. What I aim to do transcends not only your value, but mine as well, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and you simply just aren't a part of it. I apologize for not allowing you to follow me on my journey. 

To the liar, I am sorry- that I let you waste my time. Despite the seemingly infinite resources our world possesses I cannot get more time, I will never get back the effort or energy I gave you. Everything you received from me could have propelled me closer to achieving what I want, but instead it was lost in vain to a fruitless effort. I am sorry for knowing you. 

Sincerely, 
Tom R.
Music Educator 
Head Drum Major
Principal Bass Clarinetist o