Former high school jerk yearns to make amends
Dear Amy: I was a very unhappy person up until my 20s. I'll spare you the melodrama, but I didn't grow up in the best home and had very poor social skills. After learning to manage some real anxiety and depression issues and a lot of therapy, I've been in a much better place for a long time. I'm now in my late 40s.
After a recent class reunion and re-engaging with some old acquaintances, I have heard about a number of ways I acted back in the day that range from insensitive to downright terrible.
It pains me to realize that I was apparently an insufferable jerk. I don't think I'm that way anymore (at least I hope not). But what do I do with these revelations?
I've tried apologizing, and some will listen, whereas others just apparently want the satisfaction of telling me off.
With one man who says I bullied and harassed him (I don't remember it that way), I even tried saying, "I wasn't a happy person then," on top of apologizing.
I am left not feeling very good about myself, which is not a good path for me.
It's like I'm never going to be able to redeem myself in the eyes of a large swath of people I grew up around.
I've thought about a universal, wide-ranging apology on social media saying, "Look, I know I wasn't a great person to be around, but I'm not that way anymore."
Thoughts? Suggestions?
-- Formerly Terrible
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