"What's that?"

What's that? How am I feeling? Oh, not too well. Feeling kind of low. I said something that was insensitive to a decent guy today, and hurt his feelings. Expressed myself infelicitously ... came out all wrong. Right after, I said, "That was really rude, wasn't it." "Pretty insulting," he said. I apologized, and spoke with him later, attempting to explain my real meaning. Awkward situation. But it had to be dealt with. Feelings don't take care of themselves. And I'm a brooder. That's what I told him later, and he said he was too. I told him I'd remember this for the rest of my life. And I will. I hope it doesn't torment me. The air was cleared, but even so.

What's that? What did I do today? Well, kept busy. But I found time to look at some of these "web logs" people have been talking about. Left a number of comments. Oh! Here's something. I left some comments here and here, on a Lefty site. Feeling like I wouldn't mind some futility, I guess. I was apparently quite provocative. Rattling their cages, poking at them with a stick. Mostly elicited just noise - but you know me ... I'll respond to almost anything, if I have some time. It's my TV. Even bad communication might have something worth while in it.

Got some insight into the left side of the brain ... well, of the invert brain. Lots of attacks on me for being conservative. To be expected. We're all so dumb and greedy, you know. But one fellow could be taken seriously. He posed the question, what has the right ever done, ever, for the little guy. I answered him elliptically rather than directly. The direct answer is that it isn't the right's job to do things for the little guy. The right sees its job as creating a climate of opportunity. The left seems to think its job is to "do things for" the little guy. That seems significant.

Yes, true. I was really sarcastic. But it's generally a matching of tone. With the serious ones, I'm serious. Is that wrong of me? I've learned that I can't be the only one who cares. I can't care more than the other guy. It just leads to pain. So hold on to integrity, but play, if they want to play. It's almost all word games, anyway.

I'd like to engage in a serious correspondence with a thoughtful lefty. No hope of either of us convincing the other, but my purpose would be to demonstrate the humanity and rationality of my side, even though we disagree. So very much distortion, there was, you see. We're all so bad. It twists perception. Communication. Almost futile. And so easy to get wrong. But even poor communication might have a good result. Like my rude comment to that fella. If he forgives me, we'll be friends, instead of just acquaintances. I'd like that.



J