The bridge on which I stand

Life can be rough at times in this dog eat dog world in which we live.  

Going about life trying to be a nice middle-aged man is how I try to do things but sometimes being Mr. Nice is viewed as being weak by others who don’t subscribe to my preferred mode of operation.

And so while trying to use some of the communication techniques recently learned at a workshop I attended, sometimes a more familiar, calloused and rough-around-the-edges style must be used when communicating to those who are difficult, disrespectful, and offensive to me.

While it’s true that the best defense is a great offense, I see no need to change my style to Donald Trump-like offensive behavior.  Privately, I know this is something I’m capable of but it’s not how I prefer to be.  I prefer a self-defense style.

I’m very capable of using strong words strung together to make a very stern message when necessary as a form of self-defense against someone who is coming at me very strong with their own words making allegations or statements that disregard my comfort zone and disrespect my common decency to which every middle-aged man is entitled.

And while in these instances I may defend myself with a flurry of words expressed in a way meaning serious business and capable of delivering great emotional harm, with no at-the-moment regard to the “damage” their delivery may cause, I hope and pray for enough clarity to realize in the heat of my moment how I must never blow up the bridge on which I stand.

Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum