Through the Glass Darkly - An Apology

One of my favorite books from the King James Bible is Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, the phrase which I used as the title of this post.

Now I promise, I am not going to go off on some religious diatribe, but the line is fitting because I recently got caught in a case of looking through the glass and not seeing what was on the other side. I became so involved in something, too close to something, too bothered by it that, without thinking of the potential broader ramifications, I wrote about it here.

It was wrong of me, as was pointed out very nicely by a sweet lady (thank you!).

Looking at it a couple of days afterward, following receipt of a message from this online acquaintance, the fundamental meaning of what I wrote still holds true - you must pay attention to the little things. However, the larger picture must be considered as well - it wasn't right that I chose to use what I did as an example here, or anywhere else.

As a result, I apologize for saying what I did, for stepping too close to the glass so that my vision was occluded. I have deleted the offending post, even though it's too late. It's a case of had I not posted the same day I wrote it, I probably wouldn't have posted it at all because I would have seen the fundamental flaw.

This goes back to blogging in general. I'm new to this and am prone to mistakes, like the one I made. I knew that you don't post about friends, family, or work. What I didn't consider is how my side of the glass can affect people on the other side, that what I say here will be seen and read and processed by others (hopefully many others, but that's a different subject). It is incumbent on me, then, to be careful and considerate, to think about how my words will be or could be perceived.

Lessons come in many ways, large and small. Some are life changing, some are character changing, and some just smack you upside the head with a 'hey, stupid! Think!'

Today's lesson in consideration and thoughtfulness isn't going to change my life. It affects my character, but more than that, it will make me stop and think about what I am going to say, how what I write about might affect someone else.

My apologies to everyone who read that post and was tweaked, pissed off or moderately bothered by it. I was wrong and I am sorry.

Philippa