Catching Idle Butterflies

What goes around comes around.

I don’t much care for clichés but the reason they become clichés is because they’re appropriate in many a circumstance.

For instance, the title of today’s entry is appropriate for me today.

I engaged in a political discussion with another gal in "Invalid Item" . So passionate about my point, I wrote some things she found insulting. I immediately apologized. While I still hold to much of my point, I could have written it with less passion and more consideration for her feelings – to try to read my words from her point of view instead of blinded by my own righteousness.

This morning someone else responded strongly to a different thread in the same forum, to the point I felt insulted. Among other things I told the gal how I interpreted her words, but she responded with (in my view) more insults. I wrote back saying so as well as stating I would argue no further on that subject because it strayed off topic.

I swallowed a bit of my own bitter medicine. That’s okay, because it’s another lesson in the importance of being careful in what I write and how I write it, especially when it comes to such emotional issues such as politics and religion. Now, I can discuss both as long as it doesn’t disintegrate into personal attacks, or an unwillingness on either or both sides to at least listen to opposing points. How often does that not happen though?

This lesson is also a reminder of why I shy from talking about them. They are subjects so emotionally charged, each side knows beyond all doubt they’re right, and that makes them almost impossible to discuss. I usually dive in when people personally insult others on the opposite side of their point of view. That’s what I did here, and boy did I get burnt – as well doing a little burning of my own because I let my passion rule my words.

I must add, though, it’s quite possible the second gal will walk away thinking she won the argument. I admit that bristles me some. I have enough pride I don’t like to lose. But, I can’t control what people think, nor can I convince anyone they should give humility a try
I will instead concentrate on my own humility, and I’m trying to do that here. Perhaps then I won’t have any more poor responses return to gnaw on my ass. I have enough pride I don’t like to apologize, either .

Aside: I just read her response, and I couldn't keep my mouth (or fingers) shut. I'll save that for another entry, because though my response to her was short, I have much more to say on it. I'd rather do that in my blog than in a forum anyway.

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I can scratch a goal off my list! Yea!!

And this was a major one, too. Dang but it scared me; it took me weeks of mentally chewing off my fingernails before I finally said, “Okay, no more putting it off, and no more excuses. It’s time you lived up to your own words about journeys and the future, and quit being such a chicken.” I made a promise to myself and to someone else I would do this thing and at a specific time. I had to promise another person, because then I had someone to hold me accountable.

It worked, and I can happily say I had absolutely nothing to be scared of. In fact I had oodles of fun, so much fun I willingly sacrificed food (okay, I only put off eating for an hour, but as much as I love food, that was quite the sacrifice, let me tell ya).

I finally talked to partyof5dj on the phone! I at first feared we would have nothing to talk about and end up for fifteen minutes listening to each other breathe. Ha! We talked, according to my phone, for 58 minutes and 39 seconds! I didn’t need the phone to tell me that, though, as I had to rub the circulation back into my ear after I hung up. It’s still sitting a little flat against my skull though, so I’m looking a little off-center right now – kinda like my personality, huh, Partydude?

We talked about a lot of things including our spouses, work, weather, phones, technology, writing (Now there’s a shocker! Writers talking about writing?!).

That makes two now, PastVoices (who I’ve talked to three times now ), and partyof5dj.What I love about this is now talking to them again and again will be much easier, and more fun the more we get to know each other.

This also means I need to muster the courage to call four more.

I will. Eventually .