farmdoc's blog post number 21

A decade ago, in the passionate heat of the protest against motor racing in a Melbourne park, my sweetheart Vivienne and I attended training in non-violent direct action. Included was roleplaying – with activist roleplayers pitted against bad guy roleplayers. At its end, the facilitators directed those playing the activists to be physically patted down to eradicate the contamination from the bad guys. Last Thursday I sent what I thought was a firm but assertive and constructive email to my accountant whose responding email was discourteous, disrespectful, and dismissive. During the years I had been a client of this man’s, I thought I had come to know him. But my email clearly triggered something, and his reaction was unexpected. So much for my confidence in my ability to know people, and my unswerving belief in Gestalt psychology. Though episodes like this are opportunities for personal growth, and though accountants are a dime a dozen (excluding inflation and GST), on Thursday night I felt awful and I slept badly. But Vivienne patted me down on Friday since when I have felt much better. It works. I’m unable to live my life quarantined from difficult people and unpleasant situations. However I’m blessed to be married to a wise, wonderful woman who is always there for me when things get tough.