Life has a way of biting you in the butt when you do stupid things. If that’s the case, Mississippi’s bottom should be missing a few chunks.

About 30 years ago, I was leading a life of piety. Things were going my way and the last thing I wanted to do was alter my destiny, so when a friend of mine invited a divorced woman and her children to join us on an outing, I was a little put out.

My narrow-minded, pathetic attitude had no heart for someone different from me.

I could not imagine what we could have in common, and so I turned my nose up at her friendship.

I was acting like a total numbskull, completely closing my eyes to the fact this woman and I had plenty in common. We both had young children we loved and would have done anything to keep them safe.

The only obvious difference was I had a husband who could help out, and she didn’t.

How unfair and discriminatory of me — because she was divorced, I thought we were different and wanted nothing to do with her.

Well, let me tell you, my life did a 180-degree turnaround a few years after that regrettable day, and I found myself divorced.

Like this young mother, I was now in a situation where others had the opportunity to judge me as I had her, and perhaps they too, would choose not to have anything to do with me because of my plight.

Bite!

I still feel remorse from my actions and thoughts that day and have truly made an effort to try and not judge people whose life does not mirror mine.

Some may say I didn’t change my mind until karma came around, and maybe not, but I continue to do what I can to not fall back into the trap of being intolerant to others that may be different.

House Bill 1523 is a scary reminder to me — a reminder of a day that I would truly like to bury.

There was nothing I gained that day from my prejudiced attitude, and there will be nothing Mississippi will gain either.

When we are purposefully mean, bad things may not happen instantly, but rest assured, life will teach you a lesson one way or another.

I don’t know what is in store for Mississippi and its choosing to behave in an unkindly manner.

Maybe people will pack up and leave, or maybe they will never even want to come for a visit.

All I know is it will probably hurt.