I’ll definitely bite. What was the disturbance about? I often feel that things on this forum go around the corner just when I look up to see if anything’s there. I’m kind of outsider-ish in this community. My fault entirely. I think a lot of people feel I’m didactic. I’ve tried softening the edges, but it never works. I look at what I’ve re-written and feel diminished or something akin to that. So I just shoot from the lip.
Also there is a lack of real kinship because I’m not American and thus have not experienced the horrors at first hand. I am *completely ok* with that. People are virtually never rude to me - they are more kind than I would ever expect. But I’m an outsider and I can feel that. Again, that’s not a complaint. I just think it’s a factor. And I’ve always spoken out forcefully. So there have been lots of slings and arrows coming my way in life and I’m long past being hurt. I look to see if I need to apologize and do so when I feel there’s a merit. Often my thought is a simple, “Consider the source”.
Great post today, Fern. It was brilliantly wide in perspective. When you go on a tear, it’s hugely edifying. :)
I hold to my view that we are all in the last analysis tribal. That’s a biological hand me down.
Thus, there is an unconscious bias towards Americans in this forum. To me that is natural, normal, and if not carried too far, salutary. I certainly knew that going in.
Inevitably though the vast majority of Americans are kind people and I assumed that would be doubly true for this forum. I have not been disappointed.
It’s a level playing field and I am happy with that. I have “met” some wonderful people. The slant towards older and more educated is one which I most appreciate.
I see you as a calm sort of fulcrum for this group. Thus I was quite stunned by the sharp attack you leveled. But my respect for you is great and the forum continued with different things to think about the next day. So I chalked it up to a collision I didn’t quite understand, re-examined and then defended my post and I didn’t think about it again.
The gadflys of the group in my opinion, are the cheerleaders, not the trolls. Your comments are so substantive that if I brush against you, I really do think the exchange over carefully.
I’d be curious to learn more about your background. Social media’s besetting shortcoming is that we rarely get to know people in a rounded sense.
I’ll definitely bite. What was the disturbance about? I often feel that things on this forum go around the corner just when I look up to see if anything’s there. I’m kind of outsider-ish in this community. My fault entirely. I think a lot of people feel I’m didactic. I’ve tried softening the edges, but it never works. I look at what I’ve re-written and feel diminished or something akin to that. So I just shoot from the lip.
Also there is a lack of real kinship because I’m not American and thus have not experienced the horrors at first hand. I am *completely ok* with that. People are virtually never rude to me - they are more kind than I would ever expect. But I’m an outsider and I can feel that. Again, that’s not a complaint. I just think it’s a factor. And I’ve always spoken out forcefully. So there have been lots of slings and arrows coming my way in life and I’m long past being hurt. I look to see if I need to apologize and do so when I feel there’s a merit. Often my thought is a simple, “Consider the source”.
Great post today, Fern. It was brilliantly wide in perspective. When you go on a tear, it’s hugely edifying. :)
Hi Fern.
Much to think about in what you write.
As usual!
I hold to my view that we are all in the last analysis tribal. That’s a biological hand me down.
Thus, there is an unconscious bias towards Americans in this forum. To me that is natural, normal, and if not carried too far, salutary. I certainly knew that going in.
Inevitably though the vast majority of Americans are kind people and I assumed that would be doubly true for this forum. I have not been disappointed.
It’s a level playing field and I am happy with that. I have “met” some wonderful people. The slant towards older and more educated is one which I most appreciate.
I see you as a calm sort of fulcrum for this group. Thus I was quite stunned by the sharp attack you leveled. But my respect for you is great and the forum continued with different things to think about the next day. So I chalked it up to a collision I didn’t quite understand, re-examined and then defended my post and I didn’t think about it again.
The gadflys of the group in my opinion, are the cheerleaders, not the trolls. Your comments are so substantive that if I brush against you, I really do think the exchange over carefully.
I’d be curious to learn more about your background. Social media’s besetting shortcoming is that we rarely get to know people in a rounded sense.