To: one_less who wrote (88697 ) 11/18/2004 4:10:08 PM From: epicure Read Replies (1) | Respond to Jewel, what I said was not a snipe at you, or anyone else. I cannot believe, when I read your posts, that we inhabit the same planet (and that's not a snipe, I just don't see the world the same way- that's all there is to it). You may not believe me, and I can't control how you interpret my words, but when I read Grainne's posts, I thought back to discussions we had years ago, before I met you, or anyone else here right now (that I can remember anyway), that dealt with this very same topic- I did not think about people, except Grainne, who I know was here, because we always agreed on the tolerance stuff (I don't really remember who else was involved in the discussions, though Janice always was). I thought about content- quite frankly I am more focused on content than people most of the time. When you read something of mine, and think it is a snipe at you, it isn't- I'm not thinking about you, or trying to wound you in any way, except for the few times you have absolutely come out of left field to track me down somewhere to, quite frankly, be rather ugly to me. If I comment on behavior, I'm thinking about behavior mostly in depersonalized terms- why? Because that way I don't feel any rancor (or at least not very much) when I post, and I can clearly articulate rationals for things- even things that are clearly designed attempts to be hurtful to me, and which clearly stem from rancor and anger on the part of others. Why would people want to be rancorous and aggressive? Because it is exciting, it gets the adrenalin moving- why would I not want to join in? Because it isn't what I want to do anymore. If you choose to think the comments that I make relate to you, that is you thinking you are the focus, it is not me making you the focus, or making me the focus, for that matter. Though I do try to practice what I preach, as my practice and preaching evolves.
