Dear Jose, One of the privileges of leisure writing is that one does not have to explain one's thought processes. In the stray thoughts and observations genre of essay, it is sufficient to truthfully lay down what one observes and then let the readers deal with what has been written. Ever hear of the phrase "I don't make the news, I just report it." In your case you could analyze the substance or choose to dissect the writer's mind instead. You have taken the easier, more comfortable latter option which is a form of denial of the very problem the writer has been trying to highlight.
I take umbrage to the context and manner in which you have used the word "anonymous" in point 10 below. What part of maintaining privacy are you not understanding, or are you implying I made that message up. Well, here's another one, this time from a Goan lady in the UK, I'll call her M. Quote Hi Roland Your article above in the GV is true, funny & spot on!... Loved it & loved the ending. I am still chuckling!! Your Stray Thoughts column, rings true on so many levels & makes for very interesting reading.. Thank you! Regards M. Unquote I have received many more in this vein, all from the gender which I have supposedly been "attacking" according to our resident gold expert whose accounting for past sins is now drawing near. Is there a pattern here of males denying the problem and ladies facing it four-square. Sorry, not all males. Just a very few (could I use the term) possibly maladjusted ones. Please do not include yourself as one of them unless you really want to. Jose Colaco wrote: Comment: 1: Roland's comment (supra) may be accurate or inaccurate. Wonder HOW he reached that conclusion. 2: Self-esteem is what the Self estimates about self. Would Roland please advise us HOW he deciphered what the Goan women estimated about themselves? 3: Was he a scientific observer, a casual (i.e. anecdotal) observer or an observer of their interactions with him (i.e. biased observer)? 4: Was the 'reaction' he observed, a reaction to their (Goa women's) concern about family, personal relationships, financial issues, Canadian weather or just Roland? Yada yada yada.. continues to point 10 as follows: 10: I have no "anonymous" individuals to quote. So, I quote myself. (Vide infra.)
