Someone recently told me that they thought I hated them. I don’t, not at all.
I’ve been wanting to publish a “Hall of Shame” for quite a while, and just to clear the record, maybe now’s a good time.
So, here goes:
Nick Russo
Laurel Watts
Tom Kennedy
John Kimball
Margaret Carlson
Don Clark
Margaret Norris
That’s it. Only seven in almost 63 years.
I can tell you that this is not due to my having led a charmed life. I wasn’t subject to years of sexual abuse, or tortured in prison, but I have run into the usual sadists, egoists and borderline psychopaths that academic studies tell us comprise 20% of the population in America.
After a lifetime of meeting literally thousands, though, I can count on less than two hands the number of people whose behavior I can’t excuse or fathom. That is a testament to the human intellect’s capacity not only to understand but also to have compassion for those who have not treated us as they would be treated themselves.
For some reason, these seven are in a class of their own. No doubt they have some good qualities. No doubt they are loved by their families and that many consider(ed) them upright citizens and valued members of their communities.
For some reason, though, their influence on me was profoundly negative, impacting both my physical and mental health. And having gained a little wisdom in my 3 score and 3, I would not be surprised to discover that I’m not alone.
Perhaps by publishing their names, I can free myself from them, exclude them from my present consciousness and final d