I really should use smileys more

Boy did Dave misinterpret my last post!

I am sorry that my attempt at a humorous characterisation of voices without an audience as old men ranting to themselves in a park appears to have caused some offence - that was not my intention. I must remember that Americans don't do irony.

I was NOT seeing things seriously in terms of winners and losers simply chipping at the apparent polarity the two previously mentioned posts seemed to be expressing.

My point - which I clearly failed to get across - was meant to be the optimistic one that in writing and reading each others heartfelt views we are investing time and effort in a level of shared understanding which has not been so easy before our new wired world and one which I hope reduces the tendency to see life as a competition of winners and losers.

[Memo to self - must try harder to write well]

[Jon picks up the conversation here]

[Dave recovers here]

Comments

[Siona]

You know what?

I love these misinterpretations. I love the clarity that inevitably follows. I love how they evidence both the complexity of people, and the beautiful willingness of so many in this environment to challenge each other. I love how they demonstrate that continued communication is possible: how even when one person drastically misunderstands another, this need not be the end of an exchange, but an opportunity for a deeper and more powerful shared understanding.

So thank you, Dave, for reading as you did, and thank you, Euan, for both your original inexplicitness and your ensuing explanation. Again, I always feel so heartened by this seeming mistakes.

[Euan]

You are so right Siona and in fact a long e-mail conversation has ensued between Dave, Jon and I which may make its way onto the blogs at some point.