Ambivalent
BSB Addict
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2009
- Posts
- 1,811
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Dear Jon (isn't that a good beginning? ;-) ~
Last week, in another place, you vexed me mightily, and I said some very, very, harsh things to you. Over the years, I have come to like and even love you - despite our very different natures, and perspectives on the world - and so I regret having been quite so harsh, as I was. I went to Sunday-school; my Father, who is English: taught me always to love, be kind, forgive, and seek forgiveness. (My Mother, who was Scottish, taught me just to win at everything, and always to go for the jugular ;-)
My last week had me wrought-up already, because: my house is collapsing (and there are so many expensive repairs to do, parlous in their import); a scheduled visit to see Mr. K. fell through, and I lost half the value of the airline-ticket: because his employer moved him to another city. Then, no kidding, Mr. K. got pneumonia, because of stress, and cold (he moved to a more northerly city): and I have been paying for medicines and nursing-attention for him. Also, I was negotiating my way around a brace of new bosses, who were not necessarily well-disposed to me, initially - but who are, now, as I have performed some magical offices, recently, for them. Finally, I was feeling the great loss of my favourite model, especially after the revelation that he was not (apparently) as "retired" as was originally thought. . . and so, I was 100 per cent in my worst and most COMBATIVE mood.
Jon, in the depths of my discomfiture (to term it "despair" would be a little MUCH, but it was CLOSE - as I was supposed to be in Mr. K.'s ARMS, at that moment): I sought to comfort MYSELF, primarily, by sharing some of the most beautiful music I know, which I love, and revere. (I think I have learned from THAT mistake; I shan't be sharing any more music on this board again, for a long, long, time. Probably ever.)
To have the most beautiful music, which I love, rejected in quick and summary fashion (you are the master of the VERY TERSE PHRASE) - at that particular point in my life - struck me as a grave insult not just to my taste, but to music, GENERALLY. The language used to dismiss it was, to my way of thinking, quite hurtful, and unnecessary, and disproportionate. Of course, so was my response, to you - in the heat of that moment, which was NOT my best. I do sincerely apologize for this, Jon.
Likely, Jon, you were just teasing, and joking, and I should have taken that probability under advisement, and gone directly to BED. And, probably, those of us who love classical music SHOULD start our own thread, entitled "Members' favourite RENAISSANCE/BAROQUE/CLASSICAL/ROMANTIC/OPERATIC/ECCLESIASTICAL music." (Here, there, or anywhere.) That is not an UNREASONABLE suggestion, nor is it IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish. HOWEVER ~:
I should like to suggest the following:
*Both here, and elsewhere, the thread entitled "Members' Favourite Music" was inaccurately headed. It should have been named, "Members' Favourite Rock Music", or something like that, so that those of us who are fans of other kinds of music, from madrigals to Balinese gamelan music, would have known to KEEP THE HELL OFF.
*Personally, I strenuously reject the notion that, because one has begun a thread, one has proprietary rights OVER the thread, and what issues from it. I am much in sympathy with Louis, in this matter. If I start a thread which is dedicated to the British Royal family, and it digresses to discussions of the Romanovs, or the House of Karadordevic in the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, or to Soviet Communism, or to world republicanism, or to the politics of oil pipelines, or sovereignty over the North Pole, or the myths and legends surrounding Santa Claus, or to the latest scientific evidence about why seals developed FLIPPERS (all in eccentric sequence). . . I am fine with that.
*To ME, Jon, when I issue a thread, it is because I feel I have something of interest (that I think is of interest) that I want to share - BUT - if the results (the responses from other members) are indicative not of the THEME I have presented, but are more redolent of a Rorschach ink-blot-test, or Freudian free association, uttered upon a comfy chesterfield: I am fine with that. Because. . . I am a writer, and I love to see where ideas will lead people. There is nothing to fear from this, I think.
************************************************** **********************************
All this having been said, Jon - you are a MYSTERY, to me. Our minds work (even though we share some of the same political opinions, sometimes) in precisely opposite ways. (Which is not altogether surprising, given our very different personalities, and lines of employment.)
What's more, Jon - and I hope you will take this as a compliment - You HAVE the capacity to confound and anger me, like NO ONE ELSE. With a terse, daggered phrase; a curt one-line dismissal; or the like. (Most of which, I know, are usually harmless and HUMOROUS in intent ~ but, sometimes, you fool, even ME.
************************************************** **********************************
Look, Jon. Over the past number of years, I have come to like, and even DEARLY LOVE YOU. But I'm a mad Celt, and you're an Englishman, and sometimes. . . . (though you have, for the most part, been quite gentle and understanding, in recent years): a chance phrase of YOURS can and will ROIL me, like nothing ELSE, under heaven. You do it to ME, who loves you dearly, sometimes - imagine the impact you have on those who DON'T know you or love you, so well.
As a sequel to all of this:
1.) I promise never to write to you about classical music, again.
2.) I DO attest that I like you, love you, and admire you, in many ways.
3.) I DO utterly RETRACT my thoroughly nasty and intemperate comment that you will never find a boyfriend who will be happy with you. . . I am sure you WILL and CAN. (But he will HAVE to be someone who shares your aesthetics, and he will NOT be a Celt such as I ;-); and,
4.) I DO hope to remain friends, and have jolly times together, BUT. . . .
Though I have learned my lesson, and shall now AVOID your music-threads (and post my OWN, if I have anything to share, about music):
I hope that you will be generous and kind to those who are NOT initiated into the unique requirements of being a "friend of Jon" (which is certainly very rewarding, if one gets the hang of it): and not go off on them for disrupting the purity of your blessed THREADS. (For God's sake.)
That's it, that's all, you needn't answer now, or soon, but this is what my conscience gives you, my favourite, blunt-spoken, little Englishman. . . your superbly red-headed, choleric, intemperate, and irascible CELT,
"A". XOXOXOXOXOXO
*The ancient Scots tune - "War or Peace?"
Last week, in another place, you vexed me mightily, and I said some very, very, harsh things to you. Over the years, I have come to like and even love you - despite our very different natures, and perspectives on the world - and so I regret having been quite so harsh, as I was. I went to Sunday-school; my Father, who is English: taught me always to love, be kind, forgive, and seek forgiveness. (My Mother, who was Scottish, taught me just to win at everything, and always to go for the jugular ;-)
My last week had me wrought-up already, because: my house is collapsing (and there are so many expensive repairs to do, parlous in their import); a scheduled visit to see Mr. K. fell through, and I lost half the value of the airline-ticket: because his employer moved him to another city. Then, no kidding, Mr. K. got pneumonia, because of stress, and cold (he moved to a more northerly city): and I have been paying for medicines and nursing-attention for him. Also, I was negotiating my way around a brace of new bosses, who were not necessarily well-disposed to me, initially - but who are, now, as I have performed some magical offices, recently, for them. Finally, I was feeling the great loss of my favourite model, especially after the revelation that he was not (apparently) as "retired" as was originally thought. . . and so, I was 100 per cent in my worst and most COMBATIVE mood.
Jon, in the depths of my discomfiture (to term it "despair" would be a little MUCH, but it was CLOSE - as I was supposed to be in Mr. K.'s ARMS, at that moment): I sought to comfort MYSELF, primarily, by sharing some of the most beautiful music I know, which I love, and revere. (I think I have learned from THAT mistake; I shan't be sharing any more music on this board again, for a long, long, time. Probably ever.)
To have the most beautiful music, which I love, rejected in quick and summary fashion (you are the master of the VERY TERSE PHRASE) - at that particular point in my life - struck me as a grave insult not just to my taste, but to music, GENERALLY. The language used to dismiss it was, to my way of thinking, quite hurtful, and unnecessary, and disproportionate. Of course, so was my response, to you - in the heat of that moment, which was NOT my best. I do sincerely apologize for this, Jon.
Likely, Jon, you were just teasing, and joking, and I should have taken that probability under advisement, and gone directly to BED. And, probably, those of us who love classical music SHOULD start our own thread, entitled "Members' favourite RENAISSANCE/BAROQUE/CLASSICAL/ROMANTIC/OPERATIC/ECCLESIASTICAL music." (Here, there, or anywhere.) That is not an UNREASONABLE suggestion, nor is it IMPOSSIBLE to accomplish. HOWEVER ~:
I should like to suggest the following:
*Both here, and elsewhere, the thread entitled "Members' Favourite Music" was inaccurately headed. It should have been named, "Members' Favourite Rock Music", or something like that, so that those of us who are fans of other kinds of music, from madrigals to Balinese gamelan music, would have known to KEEP THE HELL OFF.
*Personally, I strenuously reject the notion that, because one has begun a thread, one has proprietary rights OVER the thread, and what issues from it. I am much in sympathy with Louis, in this matter. If I start a thread which is dedicated to the British Royal family, and it digresses to discussions of the Romanovs, or the House of Karadordevic in the former Kingdom of Yugoslavia, or to Soviet Communism, or to world republicanism, or to the politics of oil pipelines, or sovereignty over the North Pole, or the myths and legends surrounding Santa Claus, or to the latest scientific evidence about why seals developed FLIPPERS (all in eccentric sequence). . . I am fine with that.
*To ME, Jon, when I issue a thread, it is because I feel I have something of interest (that I think is of interest) that I want to share - BUT - if the results (the responses from other members) are indicative not of the THEME I have presented, but are more redolent of a Rorschach ink-blot-test, or Freudian free association, uttered upon a comfy chesterfield: I am fine with that. Because. . . I am a writer, and I love to see where ideas will lead people. There is nothing to fear from this, I think.
************************************************** **********************************
All this having been said, Jon - you are a MYSTERY, to me. Our minds work (even though we share some of the same political opinions, sometimes) in precisely opposite ways. (Which is not altogether surprising, given our very different personalities, and lines of employment.)
What's more, Jon - and I hope you will take this as a compliment - You HAVE the capacity to confound and anger me, like NO ONE ELSE. With a terse, daggered phrase; a curt one-line dismissal; or the like. (Most of which, I know, are usually harmless and HUMOROUS in intent ~ but, sometimes, you fool, even ME.
************************************************** **********************************
Look, Jon. Over the past number of years, I have come to like, and even DEARLY LOVE YOU. But I'm a mad Celt, and you're an Englishman, and sometimes. . . . (though you have, for the most part, been quite gentle and understanding, in recent years): a chance phrase of YOURS can and will ROIL me, like nothing ELSE, under heaven. You do it to ME, who loves you dearly, sometimes - imagine the impact you have on those who DON'T know you or love you, so well.
As a sequel to all of this:
1.) I promise never to write to you about classical music, again.
2.) I DO attest that I like you, love you, and admire you, in many ways.
3.) I DO utterly RETRACT my thoroughly nasty and intemperate comment that you will never find a boyfriend who will be happy with you. . . I am sure you WILL and CAN. (But he will HAVE to be someone who shares your aesthetics, and he will NOT be a Celt such as I ;-); and,
4.) I DO hope to remain friends, and have jolly times together, BUT. . . .
Though I have learned my lesson, and shall now AVOID your music-threads (and post my OWN, if I have anything to share, about music):
I hope that you will be generous and kind to those who are NOT initiated into the unique requirements of being a "friend of Jon" (which is certainly very rewarding, if one gets the hang of it): and not go off on them for disrupting the purity of your blessed THREADS. (For God's sake.)
That's it, that's all, you needn't answer now, or soon, but this is what my conscience gives you, my favourite, blunt-spoken, little Englishman. . . your superbly red-headed, choleric, intemperate, and irascible CELT,
"A". XOXOXOXOXOXO
*The ancient Scots tune - "War or Peace?"
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