Ever noticed how some people can lecture all day on the need for self awareness, in ways that exemplify about as much of the stuff as a well raised house plant?
I know Frank from my stint in a spiritual boot camp twenty years ago. Malcolm, who posted the timeless wisdom of Fallopians 13:13, is a fellow escapee. Ditto Peter, who incurred Frank’s ire by ‘liking’ my Saturday morning response, though Frank heroically transcended his anger and now seeks only to zoom us up to his level of dharmic awareness.
You may think Frank needs to lighten up a little – OK, a lot – but he’s a decent bloke and a man of courage. He’s an activist with Insulate Britain, of which I wrote approvingly just a few weeks ago.
All the same, I ignored the zoom invite. Life is short, especially for me – now on spin-round-the-sun No.70 – and you can see from this site how I choose to spend whatever days are left to me.
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I am not sure that this reveals you in quite the light that you seem to think. Yes, it is a funny post and it is perfectly reasonable to respond with a joke. On the other hand, while Frank’s response might have been too earnest and misjudging of the intention of the original post, it seems to me that he is quite correct in that your “oh dear…” was a passive aggressive attempt to mock him and put him down without engaging. Nothing terrible, but equally not necessarily something to boast about or share with those who come to this blog.
I have replied because I assume you posted it for a reason, and presumably wanted some sort of reaction. My reaction is, similar to that of Mr Knightley in Emma – it was badly done, Philip.
Well I’ll overlook your understandable error, Zoltan, on the ground that you do not know this person whereas I do – though a few clues are there for the observant; like the peremptory summons to a zoom call. Nor are you aware of the ‘boot camp’ context we once shared, where such a summons had to be taken very seriously indeed.
And no, I wasn’t boasting. Just expressing weariness at insufferable and self-serving obtuseness.
Since you ignore the credit I also give this man – and I’d rather be called humourless than a coward – I can’t help thinking you’re casting around for stones to throw: peeved at still having no answer – eighty-one days after I put them to you, and sixty-four after you promised a reply – to the very direct questions posed in my open letter …