This is the saga of the Great Email Stinker. For all those who have worked long enough, you know what I'm talking about. Before continuing though, I will say - it will be my fervent effort to refrain from a great deal of sermonizing. So here goes..
I was once part of mass-participated email stinker that had several over-zealous participants - and as such things usually go, it started with a comment of no particular consequence - to which the afflicted took great offence. And thus started the long series of stinkers exchange - all a result of some serious exaggerated amount of labor of thought - long, detailed and well-phrased statements of probably what would have been months of build-up. Of course, there has to be underlying tension which will trigger such outbursts, otherwise we're just as likely to let it go. And there is a moment before the ill-fated mail is dispatched - should I ? Which promptly gets the reply - of course you should, you can't be letting anyone get away with it, now can you?
Does the deep breath work? Nope, you take one, then the next, take one more look at the offensive mail - and there you go!
Does the Del work? I'm tempted to say yes. Temporarily, deleting the repugnant mail actually will reduce the possibility of a stinker emanating - but the problem is, there's still the niggling acrimony to deal with. It will come out, one day or the other. And likely the more gruesome it will be.
We're all stepping on each other toes in some way or the other - and lets be fair - we always will. If everyone walks on tiptoes, it wouldn't be half the fun anyway. And its that toe that gets stepped on a few too many times which will probably flare up.
Some of the most productive relationships have had their fair level of intensity, which goes to show there's also something propitious that can come out of friction.
So..... should I?
The answer, probably, is balance. (And isn't this the answer to all the questions in the universe!)
Have your friction and think about the possibility of eating it too! If you have to let someone know how you feel and the intensity of that feeling - by all means do it, but remember your words have ramifications - as long as you're prepared to accept them. So along with the should I , add in - am I prepared to face the heat?
And maybe, just maybe, you might want to tone it down a notch before hitting send - because it is in fact, not the two-headed monster you think it is, at the receiving end, but a person, with as many feelings and shortcomings as yourself, but maybe not the same ones.
Dedicated lovingly to all those who've inspired me.
P.S - To all those whom I have written stinkers and to all those whom I have not yet written stinkers please read disclaimer below.
Disclaimer - All events described in this blog do involve real people but it isn't you, and neither is it what you think. My advice, though well-meaning and stocked with all good intentions of being of service to mankind, is entirely the result of the meanderings of my idle brain, so take it at your own risk. I do not, in any way, proclaim to follow the advice I dispense.
I was once part of mass-participated email stinker that had several over-zealous participants - and as such things usually go, it started with a comment of no particular consequence - to which the afflicted took great offence. And thus started the long series of stinkers exchange - all a result of some serious exaggerated amount of labor of thought - long, detailed and well-phrased statements of probably what would have been months of build-up. Of course, there has to be underlying tension which will trigger such outbursts, otherwise we're just as likely to let it go. And there is a moment before the ill-fated mail is dispatched - should I ? Which promptly gets the reply - of course you should, you can't be letting anyone get away with it, now can you?
Does the deep breath work? Nope, you take one, then the next, take one more look at the offensive mail - and there you go!
Does the Del work? I'm tempted to say yes. Temporarily, deleting the repugnant mail actually will reduce the possibility of a stinker emanating - but the problem is, there's still the niggling acrimony to deal with. It will come out, one day or the other. And likely the more gruesome it will be.
We're all stepping on each other toes in some way or the other - and lets be fair - we always will. If everyone walks on tiptoes, it wouldn't be half the fun anyway. And its that toe that gets stepped on a few too many times which will probably flare up.
Some of the most productive relationships have had their fair level of intensity, which goes to show there's also something propitious that can come out of friction.
So..... should I?
The answer, probably, is balance. (And isn't this the answer to all the questions in the universe!)
Have your friction and think about the possibility of eating it too! If you have to let someone know how you feel and the intensity of that feeling - by all means do it, but remember your words have ramifications - as long as you're prepared to accept them. So along with the should I , add in - am I prepared to face the heat?
And maybe, just maybe, you might want to tone it down a notch before hitting send - because it is in fact, not the two-headed monster you think it is, at the receiving end, but a person, with as many feelings and shortcomings as yourself, but maybe not the same ones.
Dedicated lovingly to all those who've inspired me.
P.S - To all those whom I have written stinkers and to all those whom I have not yet written stinkers please read disclaimer below.
Disclaimer - All events described in this blog do involve real people but it isn't you, and neither is it what you think. My advice, though well-meaning and stocked with all good intentions of being of service to mankind, is entirely the result of the meanderings of my idle brain, so take it at your own risk. I do not, in any way, proclaim to follow the advice I dispense.
