Day 23

Day 23: Real Time
Day One: 21 Day Complaint Free Journey


“Life is fired at us point-blank.” Jose Ortega Y Gasset


I’m still close, but not there yet. Yesterday I got involved in a discussion of two thorny, on-going issues, and the conversation took on that life of its own that includes sarcasm and general negativity. But, I’m still hopeful.

An interesting side-note: I wrote yesterday about a comment I sent via email to a columnist friend of mine that I felt was a complaint. Later in the day I received this email from her:

For what it's worth, I read your email yesterday afternoon and said to myself "Boy, she is doing great! Just stating the facts without a complaint about the paper. Way to go, Deborah!" So, I was a bit surprised to read your blog just now to see that you DID consider it a complaint. To me.. if you had said something like "I can never count on them any more" or "I gave up on them ever using the right title of the column OR the right picture" ... THEN, I would have considered it a complaint.

I know you are a lot more sensitive about what you consider to be a complaint. You certainly know your game plan better that I do. But, as I said, from my point of view, I thought it was one of the more positive emails I have received from you regarding the paper in a very long time! :-)

I had to think about that for a while after reading it. AM I being too hard on myself, counting complaints where none really exist?

That would be nice to fall back on, wouldn’t it? But I know what the tone of voice in my head sounded like when I wrote my earlier words to her. I MEANT it as a complaint. She wasn’t in my head, though, and couldn’t hear the dripping sarcasm in my typed words hanging there on the page in their apparent neutrality.

However, her gentle admonishment will be taken into consideration. Maybe I do tend to be more critical of myself than is justified.

After all, it’s possible my newly acquired negativity is coloring the outlook I have on myself as well as others.