Sometimes, as much as I'd like to forget about (forgive me if I come off as crass) the crap from my past, people bring it up and the memories come back like the Ghost of Christmas Past. When this happens I try not to lose my cool by getting mad or defensive. I only wish people don't bring the stuff up in the first place.
For instance, as I was on my way out of school last Saturday, a classmate whom I was leaving with pointed out that a guy I used to like was nearby and we were about to cross paths with him. And I thought that was the end... but she went on by telling me that the guy's girlfriend was a Teacher Education student majoring in English. She then goes on to joke that I may have a shot with him someday. I told her of the fallacy of the statement, but she thought I was being defensive and that I was actually being hopeful or something.
I'm not. I've done a pretty good job of moving on, and it helps if people would cease their assumptions that I still have lingering feelings for a guy who is happy in his relationship. I'm not pathetic enough to wish he and I were together. I'm doing just fine having let go and I would do so much better if people would also let go.
People are free to believe whatever they want, as long as they have solid basis for those beliefs. So, people can believe what they want to believe about me as long as they have facts to back them up... and as long as they don't try to rebuild bridges I have already burned. Then again, that last part may not come easy.
And as Lady Gaga once said, "People are always gonna talk. So we might as well give them something to talk about."