Monday, October 13, 2008

Reunion Update

I've been in touch with Jim S. today and I do think at some level he is sorry for the level of negativity he has unleashed on the reunion. I am still not planning to attend. But he has asked me to post an "apology" (and I use that term liberally) that he wrote early this morning to the original group of people Bill forwarded the email to. In the interest of fairness, I am doing so.

The "second email" that Jim mentions, for the record, was sent half an hour later and bascially was an attempt to retract the first. The damage, at this point, had been done. If it was meant to be a joke, and that is giving HUGE benefit of the doubt, it wasn't funny. I am also not sure how Bill was expected to know "it was a joke" since he literally hasn't spoken to Jim in 10 years.

I personally do not buy the joke scenario. I don't think he is fooling anyone and it's an insult to our intelligence to suggest otherwise.

I offered Jim the opportunity if he wanted to write another apology to the class and said I would be happy to post his note to my Facebook page and my blog, but this seems to be as far as he was willing to go.

I am not going to comment further; in fact I hope this is my last comment on the matter. We're all smart people: judge for yourself.
__________________________________________________________

I received your email this morning. Let me begin by simply saying the
original e-mail I sent Bill has been taken way way out of context. I
was completely kidding! To ensure Bill knew that I was kidding I
subsequently sent another e-mail right after the first indicating as
such. I further mentioned to Bill how I was looking forward to seeing
him and even addressed some of his very valid concerns.

I don't know why Bill would choose to send only the first e-mail knowing I
was kidding. I would never NEVER intentionally offend Bill or anyone
else like that. I am truly sorry for the miscommunication. Obviously,
my sense of humor is different than yours and that many others perhaps.
That's OK as it's what, in part, makes us all different. And if I
offended anyone with my sense of humor (or lack thereof) I am very
sorry. I'm not sure if you came to the 10th but we had an awesome time.
All we are trying to do is much of the same as 10 years ago. Please, if
I upset you or anyone else, accept my apologies. Again, I had no
intention to do so and now feel terrible about the whole matter.