her sudden irriation sat me back in my chair ...

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A friend began a conversation online by asking me what I see in years ahead.

Wanting to be positive, and not having any trouble doing so, as usual, I went with my first thought.

I wrote "Excitement !!!"

A very easy answer for me because I cannot imagine how anyone can make it through a day with all the challenges we face and actually stay "calm"

Everyone wants me to be "more positive" it seems, not quite comprehending how insanely *positive* I am already.

I do try.

Over the next half hour we talked of many things, I explained a complex process she had not thought of, and we mostly agreed on a variety of subjects.

I admitted that I had forgotten it was she who had sent me a certain article which I found extremely informative - too many things coming in here to remember where they all come from

What surprised me after all the things we shared was her sudden irritation.

Yes, I CAN "hear" that right through the little black and white characters feeding into my screen.

"How can you be excited about misery and people dying?" she demanded of me.

I said to myself, "HUH?" and sat back, staring at my screen.

"I cannot think of anything I said that might make you think that I would EVER be excited about people dying," I wrote back.

"Go back and read the first thing you said in this conversation," she said.

Uh ... "That is not what I meant," I said ...
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what constitutes agreement ... ?

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For me, when someone says, "I agree"
... there is not much to be said in return except, "Thank you."

The statement, "I agree," really does not convey much of itself, and one may do well to take a good look and the person who is "agreeing" to make sure they are in good health.

I do not believe there is ever such a thing as *100% total agreement*

Could happen ...


Saying "I agree" can mean a lot of things, such as:

- I am tired
- I want to go home
- I do not want to argue
- I do not totally agree but I do not want to discuss it

If one wants to talk more, there are ways to signal general agreement, and to at the same time qualify, or characterize that agreement with limits or exceptions.

Silence can also signal agreement, or silence can mean other things, like:
"That makes me SO mad!"
- which might be anything BUT agreement, so we have to learn to "listen" to silence.


Of course we can disagree with each other and be kind in doing so
- we can.

If there is a point in disagreeing with someone, seems to me that is opportunity to offer what light we believe we personally possess - not simply to disagree, or to be, or to be perceived as, simply disagreeable.

If you disagree, smile, and I will understand ...


btw Happy New Year ! - Nice to see you again : )

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