Matt,

Thank YOU in turn for devoting so much time to my musings. I even feel a bit of guilt since this post started as an attempt to help you, but now it kind of focuses on me. I hope not too much. And I do feel immense gratitude to you for reading my other post. It is very hard work indeed to try and translate oneself into the head of the other person in an attempt to see what s/he sees, to understand where s/he comes from and to do all that without judging. I notice that sometimes people would open up to me like that guy who had me mildly hooked on him for over a year did, so I guess I could be a good psychotherapist myself because of that and also because of my ability to usually be able to get to the root of the problem. But since I know how hard this job of putting oneself in the other person’s shoes is (I also like the Native American continuation – also to walk a mile in those moccassins), I have never had a desire to pursue it and so may be able to find the root of the problem, but don’t know the ways and the techniques to deal with it.

And even though nearly everything I poured out here had gone through my head several times, had been written in my diary of sorts and shared partially with two or three people, it is still very comforting to take it out in the open again, all in the same place AND also to be aware of the fact that somebody, even though I don’t know you who you are, actually read it and heard it. I don’t know why, but the mere fact of it is very comforting. And it goes without saying that your input from a male perspective is simply invaluable. And I also value that you are not trying to judge me or to suggest I had my head examined, but are putting forward some things that I haven’t thought about (I am referring to that other, original, post of mine) or suggesting other, additional points of view or angles that I haven’t considered.

Everything you wrote makes sense to me, and I do already have some comments and ideas I would like to share with you and see what you will say. I don’t think they will be as lengthy as the ones in my post from the day before, but I won’t have time to do it now. I count on being able to do it tomorrow.

You also said that you would have to reread your response. Maybe you will have some afterthoughts or gobacks to share – I will be more than happy to read them as well.

Have a great evening!

X