You better believe there will be times in your life

When you'll be feeling like a stumbling fool

But take it from me

You'll learn more from your accidents

Than anything that you could ever learn in school ...

Those lyrics are from one of my very favorite songs ever, Billy Joel's "You're Only Human (Second Wind)." As a person who is given to making big mistakes if she makes mistakes, that song has become something of a personal mantra for me.

As I've grown older, something that really bothers me is that people generally seem to want to tear others down rather than build them up. I am disheartened that adults are often worse than children about trying to get one another in trouble.

I want to believe that people are basically good and decent. I want to believe that if I acknowledge my flaws and failings, I will be forgiven because even though I am not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I am a nice person who wants to do my job well and raise my family in peace.

Judgment and gossip are so detrimental. They can ruin lives, marriages, friendships, careers and families. That people throw them both about in such a haphazard fashion simply boggles my imagination.

This is not to say I've never been guilty of doing such a thing. But these days, I try to refrain from saying or doing things that will adversely affect others if I can help it. I am in no position to judge anyone ... very few of us are.

Wouldn't the world be a much better place if we all put as much effort into being nice to one another as we sometimes put into making sure people get what we think they have coming to them?