Look, if I'm no longer welcome here, I'll stay away...

[nomorenomore08]

I've never had the intent of demeaning or insulting anyone in this Group, I've only tried to express an opinion, like everyone else. But when some seem intent on ascribing motives or beliefs to me that I've never had in my life, it does get frustrating. I'm sure you all know the feeling.

[westerebus]

1. What's up?

[Bonobo]

2. Do you really want us to stop responding honestly to you?

Do you really want to use emotional blackmail to get only the responses you want?

If not, stop using manipulation to control our reactions to what you post.

No one said you are not welcome.

But people respond the way they respond to things you write. If the responses are an expression of honest feelings, no one who actually was interested in dialog would try to shut them up.

[westerebus]

4. Did he clean off the jelly on the gefilte fish?

I think the rule is never enter the kitchen of your mother in law without a cheese cake.

[nomorenomore08]

6. I'm not trying to shut anyone up. I made this OP, probably inadvisedly, while having a

particularly bad week in many respects. I was far more emotional and irrational right then, probably, than I usually am.

Hell, I probably should've gone ahead and self-deleted, if I hadn't taken a self-imposed ~10-day hiatus from DU already. Which was really just the proverbial taking a step back from the computer and breathing deeply, only in elongated form.

As I've said, I have no intention of attacking any particular poster here - by and large I think you guys are all right, not that my opinion particularly matters to anyone, or should.

[radicalliberal]

3. What particular motives or beliefs do you believe have been wrongly ascribed to you? n/t

[lumberjack_jeff]

5. Of course you're welcome here. There are people whose job it is to tell you if you're not.

If someone has unfairly inaccurately described your views, then set them straight. No one gets to tell you what your views are, including me.

Stating a contrary opinion isn't demeaning and insulting, it's respect. I find that withholding a contrary opinion is usually patronizing.

You said in another post that "you were in a bad place". I hope you resolve the problem, but if it's helpful to discuss it with your fellow guys, I encourage it.

I recommended your post because it gave me the opportunity to say this.

[nomorenomore08]

7. Thank you. You were very gracious, considering the tone of some of my posts lately.

I don't want to get into too much detail, but suffice to say I've struggled recently with relationship - or more like lack-of-relationship - issues among other things, and at some point I realized I was getting too emotional for DU. So rather than keep digging that hole, I just decided to step away for a bit.

[lumberjack_jeff]

8. I'm glad you're back. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

9. I definitely hope you're feeling better.

And yeah, when this place starts to be an energy drain, it can be good to step away.