**NOTE: MySpace is doing weird formatting things to my blogs. I don't know why. But try as I might, it just justifies or centers however it would like. And don't even get me started on the font. On my computer it's miniscule. I don't have the energy to mess with it anymore. I hope you can still read it! ****

Words are powerful.

I know that’s a “DUR” statement from an avid reader and an author. But
sometimes that statement just smucks you upside the head and leaves you stunned.

I had one of those weeks re-learning this lesson.

There are times words can bring you to tears, tickle your funny bone or
royally tick someone off. I experienced the latter this week and it was
incredibly humbling and horrifying at the same time.

For a whole day I was reminded how something meant innocently can mushroom
into a full blown out misunderstanding that affects more people than even the
original audience.

Oh, it was sincere enough. I questioned something … quietly and
professionally … or so I thought. A tiny snowflake fell somewhere in the
universe. THEN I went and told someone about this interaction. My tiny
snowflake found a friend or two and was now a cold, hard snowball hurtling through cyberspace. I didn’t think much of it as I went out into the
internet to share my thoughts which spurned a discussion. My snowball
started tumbling down a hill. From my perspective it was a very good
discussion, lots of tossing around of ideas. Plenty of give and take. All
positive. Again … from my perspective. By now a huge mound of snow is
hurtling itself my way and I am totally oblivious of it’s arrival.

Fast forward several happy hours and a good night’s sleep.

The snowball I created rushes into me with a power I never anticipated.
My few words of innocent inquiry had suddenly become a nuclear bomb
exploding into a mushroom cloud that dropped debris for miles and miles. I was
in trouble.

For a whole day I tried to discover exactly what I had done wrong and what
specifically I had said that created such hurt and mistrust. At the writing of
this, I still don’t know the specifics.

I may never know.

I just wanted to remind everyone that sometimes words go in a totally
different direction than you intended. It is hard for humor especially
to be understood over an email. I’m just happy things have worked out in this
situation and I can move forward with only a little bruising.