As usual with these things, it seems that it is everyone's fault a little, and
no-one's fault completely.
Joe, I believe you may have treated Laura with some level of insensitivity in
your comments to her. Whatever your intentions, it is clear that your words
have genuinely upset Laura badly. I find it hard to believe she would turn
her back on a community that she has been so much a part of, purely as some
sort of attention-seeking tantrum. Maybe good intentions, but badly phrased
to someone who we know can take things very personally.
Laura, I suspect that you may have over-reacted to Joe's comments. They may
have appeared hurtful, but the impression I get from what he subsequently said
is that his intentions were honourable - he seemed concerned that, to him and
possibly others, your claims were making you look foolish. He may be right,
he may be wrong - I have never stopped to question your claims, without having
seen Nigel, and I have never considered you foolish - but his concern appears
to me that he wants to save you from embarrassment. You clearly are capable
of standing up for yourself and do not want to be saved by anyone, but I
believe Joe's intentions were merely misplaced good ones, not deliberately
hurtful - at least before the slanging match started up.
Laura, I hope you will return to this list, I'm sure most of us appreciate your
contributions and humour, and those who don't, well they should just keep it
to themselves. No-one gets on with everyone in this world, and for the sake
of the general peace it is best just to stay away from those we don't get on
with.
Everyone, whether or not Laura re-joins, can we put this behind us now, and
continue as friends as we all were before. Yes, I know that makes me a
hypocrite, since it was me who dug up what should already have been buried and
forgotten - for this I apologise.
Enough now.
Richard
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