Re: [at-l] Misc..

["Coosa" <coosa@alltel.net>]

Mag wrote:

>Ah..so I can blame my personality on being a "young, black haired,
>working class kindaguy  from Italian environs of sub-urban Rhode Island
>and related to Constantino, Domenic and Steve, too? ". ;-)
>
Blame, did I blame?  I thought I was proudly explaining why no man (or
woman) knew exactly how to relate to my verbose opinionated honestly spoken
viewpoints.  My personality is a mix of genetics and the environment I was
raised in -- and turning 55 years old and realizing that I can make a
statement, feel good about it, and I do not have to please everyone.

(PS, at Trail Days, the nicest thing that happened was what you said in my
presence to the guys with the jars full of drink -- do you recall?)

>
>Sorry..but I couldn't resist not making a wise-acre comment on that
>mouthful of a statement! :P
>
And why did you apologize?   I am not offended as easily as some people --
and you'll note that when others are offended, I am quick to apologize --
and I am sincere in that apology -- I do not intend to offend, only to
broaden others' viewpoints.

One of the things that 55 years has taught me, is that if something someone
says upsets me, it probably (but not in every case) means that I need to do
some introspection.

Sometimes what someone says is morally offensive to me -- things like
situation ethics -- the old "the end justifies the means" -- there are dead
bodies all around because of that statement being the moral basis for some
individuals.  I do not prescribe to that ethic.  If someone takes that moral
stance and the issue is something that can or does affect a broad audience
and I foresee detrimental fallout, I am bound to speak out -- not to offend,
but to try to get others to reassess their behavior and their ethics.
Doesn't mean I'm not those other's friend or that I don't care about them or
that I'm angry with them.

Friendship can be deepened with honest and open discussions that broaden the
informational base of people.   People with very liberal viewpoints can be j
ust as narrow-minded as people with very conservative viewpoints.   Just
because someone adheres to a different set of values doesn't mean that the
two can't share ideas and learn from each other.   Doesn't mean either has
to change their ethics or that either has to try to convert the other,
either, to be friends.  But my personal hope is that both will find a higher
ethic from their friendship and discussion.

One aside -- well, my entire epistle probably qualifies -- I've noticed that
if you take a barrel of apples and put one soggy, mouldy apple in it, within
a short time, the entire barrel is affected and ruined.  Why is that?  There
are 100 good, ripe apples in the barrel.  Why can they not overpower the
rotting apple and change it?  Why is it that one that is detrimental to the
entire group can ruin the entire group and destroy it?

You have your pack all packed.  You think you have your food all properly
packaged.  You get to your campsite, open your food bag and find that one
item has contaminated the rest.  Why could not all the good food have
stopped the contamination?

As 'Grandfather' said in "Little Big Man" -- "It is a wonder to me."


>>Coosa
>>aka Howling Wolf in the new millennium

again
>
>Cool. "Spoonful" and "Little Red Rooster" for AT-L karoke....
>


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