Teejay,
I have not known you to be anything but blunt. As I said, I don't think Alan read your post in the same light I did. I understood your comment about laughing to be just as you stated it. You and Alan have some history and from what I can see it isn't a favorable one. You and I have had a few exchanges and I think we have both came to a peaceful understanding. I have no problem with you but Alan does. That is between you and him. If you want to make a point of stating that you did not believe this whole thing from the start then your comments are noted. Nothing more and nothing less. If Alan called you a hypocrite then maybe that comment is based more on your history with him than it was on the issue in question. That is something you need to discuss with him, not me.
You have emailed me several times stating that you feel you are not very well liked on this board. I don't let things like that persuade my own thoughts and feelings. I am not on this board to get people to like me but by trying to be more understanding and giving people the benefit of the doubt I have come to be in a position that I think has made me a lot of good friends here. That is more important to me than being right all the time.
It is more important to me to get along with people and try to understand them then it is for me to try and show how smart I am and win an argument. If I am wrong I admit it. If I am right I let others come to their own conclusions and do not try to prove to anyone that my thinking or ability to be right is more important than their friendship. I have done some incredible things in my life and in years past developed a huge ego because of it. I hated that fact and I hated my ego. No one likes to hear someone say "I told you so" just to bring attention to themselves and prove that they have the ability to be right. I think it takes a stronger person to admit their mistakes than it does for someone to constantly point out their successes.
It's all about respect and the ability to deal with your own insecurities. I am a very secure person and I think my ability to get along with most people shows that. If some look at what I do and how I do it as a weakness than that is their problem, not mine. If I have to look less than perfect and make a few mistakes and admit them in order to keep a friend or gain someone's respect then so be it. My life is not all about winning but more abut understanding. Sometimes that leads me into a situation where I came to a wrong conclusion. I can deal with that and it does not change who I am or lower my level of intelligence, it only proves that I do not know everything about everything. I am fine with that.
I would not feel comfortable being in a position that I am not very well liked on this board because I tell it like it is no matter who's feelings it hurts. Being right or having a strong opinion about something is not as important to me as keeping the friendships that I have made on this board. I do try to be fair when it comes to blanket statements about the JW's but at times I make such statements. I do not try to point out all the bad in people but instead try and look for the good. It is not my job to point out everyone's mistakes. There are enough people on this board who feel that is their duty in life.
Once again, I think we understand each other and that is all I ask. If you or Alan care to talk things over it is you two that may need to talk on the phone. Once I got Alan and DannyBear to talk on the phone they became friends. It ended a little feud they had going and I hated it because I considered both of them friends. Now they are friends and to me, that's what it is all about. We are all in this leaky boat together, the less we make it rock the better off we are. Everything else is just stuff!
Take care,
Dave
