My apologies to you, SonofMacPhisto (Off-Topic)

by BeardFade , Portland, OR, Wednesday, December 28, 2016, 17:53 (2672 days ago) @ SonofMacPhisto

"I'm sorry you're hurting. Can I help?"

For the record, this is what I did as a pastor. But I'm not a pastor anymore and yes, one of those reasons is the sheer quantity of empathy required for the job. I'm easily half Vulcan (yes, a joke, but still the simplest way to describe myself). People aren't really that interested in logic & reason even when they are in a good place. That, too, is part of the culture we are in.

I still maintain, I haven't told you what to feel or think, I have posited that there's a logical reason 2016 was shittier than most and have suggested that understanding why it was shittier may be of some comfort to some people. As with most comforts, they are only helpful to some. Perhaps in this case, the kind of people who would be comforted by understanding this situation would also be the people who would not need to be comforted by it. This is something I'm only considering right now, so my apologies for not calculating that beforehand.

SonofMacPhisto, who or what in particular have you been hurt by the most this year? For me, I was touched by the loss of Arnold Palmer. He transformed a game I loved, thought I might play professionally at one point in my life, and did it with charisma and style. I never met the man, but his accomplishments elevated golf, and any modern golfer is in his debt. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Maybe we can start an "airing of grievances" in the Festivus tradition.