Becky Says...

November 21, 2000

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End of a Friendship?

I may have ended a friendship today. I finally have had it up to and beyond my eyebrows with Joe, the person I told you about here.

Last week, during the time my computer was out and I was using a friend's to check e-mail, I got several notes from Joe, that he had sent to everyone whose e-mail address he had. It was typical right-wing religious stuff. Frankly, I read the first sentence or so of each and deleted them without any reply. That was annoying enough. But even worse was getting replies from one of his right-wing friends who seemed to think that replying to all who got the mail was necessary.

That got Joe and his friend having a discussion with each other that we were all expected to witness. (Delete, delete, etc.) I was happy on Friday when I got back online to see that there were no more messages from either of them, and that others on the list had not joined in. This was private e-mail, not a discussion group, just to make that clear.

Then came today's drivel from Joe. I call it that because it was a badly-written forwarded piece with a political point that was so conservative the lettering was almost tilting to the right. I deleted it, but not before replying.

In my reply, I didn't mention any of the things that had arrived in my inbox. I did say this:

This has been an introspective time for me, in some ways. Among other things I have realized is that I am perhaps more liberal now than I was during college---which considering I was fairly liberal then, is not too big a leap! I'm talking more about social things than political, though often the two things are the same. I am glad that I have managed to keep this outlook. That has been a life goal of mine (and will continue to be).

And I'm not sure how he'll deal with this. I probably should have stated my feelings in so many words before now. But I really did think he knew how liberal I am---it's not anything I've ever tried to keep secret. I didn't discuss politics (or religion) during the first years I knew him, because I worked at non-profit #1 and kept my politics in my heart, not on my car bumper. But my liberal leanings were not hard to discern, either.

I have given him no reason over the years to conclude that I had become more conservative.

I will miss him if I don't hear from him again. But I do not want any more of his religious, political blather showing up in my inbox.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Saundra got some really nice news today....check both of her November 21 entries for details, then send her congratulations!

Text © copyright 2000 Becky