I feel really bad about this. A friend emailed me with some concerns about a group of people that we know mutually, and with whom I have had some tension. The friend wrote to a contact for the group, and included me in a BCC. Doofy me somehow though that the other person saw that I had gotten the email, so I sent a response to both saying that I thought that I and the group could pursue our separate projects, and that things were basically okay. The other person apparently wasn't happy about me getting the BCC.
The ironic part is that I basically was trying to smooth things over and ease some conflict. One problem that has cropped up is that the group's communication skills and mine don't mesh very well. When I saw the reply, I had the image of a friend of all of us who is big on trying to get everyone to play nicely. So I thought I would try to open up some communication.
I think that the group's communication and interpersonal methods might be a barrier to them making a lot of progress, but I feel really bad that the friend who sent me the email is in an awkward position. The group in question tends to stress me out; I always feel like whatever I do in dealing with them, it will be the wrong thing.
In happier news, I am feeling smug that I got the leaves raked today. I also got the cover over the outside air conditioner. With snow on the ground here, it feel good that I have what seemed to be every leaf on the eastern seaboard that had blown into my yard in trash cans, rather than lying clumped and damp under the light snow we got.
