I get lots of politically oriented E mail that started when I contributed to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and later to the Obama campaign. The contact put me on their mailing list and they gave my name to cooperating Democratic organizations and members of the administration who send me E mails to keep me up to date. Many of them have a “contribute” paragraph. In the interests of personal solvency, I don't. As for the info, I already know most of what they say from the news programs and newspaper, so to save my sanity and add years to my life, I delete all of them, yes, all of them, without looking at them.

I also signed petitions to save animals and now I am on several lists who also want me to sign more petitions and contribute. I delete all of these too. I don’t take advantage of their “unsubscribe” feature because I am in favor of what they are doing and my contribution is to let them E mail me but ignore them.

I’ve written before that good deeds especially when money is involved often escalate to where you are a target for many groups. I have now trained myself not to feel guilty when I press the delete button. Try it. It’s liberating.

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Yesterday Ed and I had an early dinner with friends and he left to keep an appointment with his foreign student to whom he is teaching English. The student couldn't make it any other day. I stayed on chatting with my hosts and the other guest. My hostess is a dear friend. I have confided in her. Occasionally her advice, coming from her perspective, is not comfortable. It isn’t that she’s right and I am wrong or the reverse, it is that she is oblivious to the thought that she is saying hurtful things. I then find myself wondering if this isn’t passive-aggressive hostility. I’ve done some of this in my life but stopped doing it 50 years ago. I try to be aware of my subliminal motivation.

Anyway, I have been brooding about things for a day or so and have decided to just let it go since the positives in this friendship outweigh the now-and-then dark side. As for further confidences, I think I’ll pass for a while.

xx, Teal