|
A disturbing trend . . .
I went to a party once.
Now, I wasn't invited, mind you, but I was certainly welcome by everyone there. At first I was somewhat shy about the situation, because I had arrived after others, and they were already involved in many conversations about lots of things. Some of the things I knew a great many details about, and others were not exactly strong points of mine.
I was welcomed into those conversations, but there were certain accepted practices in those little groups within the overall party. SOme were very cordial, and others were more raucous, but they all followed their own sets of rules.
Now the host of this party was well-known and respected by everyone there. We were all thankful for the opportunity he had provided us to get together. He had a few "house rules" (no puking on the new couch . . .that kind of thing), but he was fairly ambivalent about how individual conversations went, so long as they did not violate the main rules of the house.
However, after I had been at the party for a while, a few other people showed up. They too were welcomed like I had been, and they too began to participate in the various chats that had sprung up in the party. Some of them were real experts, and some of them, like me, were simply interested in the topics being discussed.
However, in this new batch of guests, there was an interesting theme among them. They thought that the party was a good idea, but that it could be even better if the more raucous conversations could be stilted in some way, so that they did not offend the sensibilities of these few. Now, the people who had already been at the party for some time were willing to see that everyone has an opinion on the matter, and they listened to those who were upset and trying to change the format of the talks.
Even so, this understanding was not enough. These few wanted things their way or not at all. They refrained from participating in most of the talks (because they were too rowdy, one supposes), but occassionally, they took the time to tell everyone at the party that they were discussing everything all wrong! The party guests were incredulous, but they were being told that they had been conducting themselves in a manner that was unacceptable, even though the host had never said that this was so, and he had even told some of the former party guests that they were well within the rules of the house. When it was realized that these newcomers were univited guests just like everyone else, well it made for a tense time at that party, let me tell you!
The moral to this story? Well, it was a GREAT party, and I'll never forget it! But you know what? I eventually learned to stay away from those few who thought they needed to tell everyone else how to talk whn the host of the party had never said we were in the wrong. If a house rule was violated, that was one thing, but if someone's sensibilities were all that had been broken, I just let it go. It took me a while to learn that, but I eventually got it through me thick head!
You know what I mean, Vern?!?!?!?
|
Linear Mode
