It's just that we have had our lifetime fill of the "wah wah, I'm a special self-centered creative artist with an existential crisis" letters.

Maybe that could be a seperate column and those who are interested can read that column. And the rest of us "unspecial" people can read the colum about the human condition.

sorry, no you just THINK you're a LOT more special than you are. How arrogant

The thing about being special is: it's NOT a self-appointed quality. Someone else can identify you as standout, but you can not label yourself special! lol!

what on earth (but your own incorrect projections) makes you think all the "morality" posts weren't liberal?

You are WAY off base.

I'm as pinko liberal as they come and was a predominant poster FOR morality, or ethics, if some prefer. That is a huge misconception of your's, that liberals are not moral. WE may not brag about it the way the self-titled "moral majority" do, but we --just like you--prefer our spouses to be faithful.

at the office get a lot of free rides, they're never expected to bring real food to potlucks, whereas equal professional women are. Sure, work all day, go home collapse. Wake up at 4 am to make quiche for the office lunch.

This. Is. Not. About. You.

You will not be a good freind until you get that.

Your friend's dating, secrets, fears, choices, likes, dislikes, attractions are NOT about YOU. Her romantic choices are made for herself and affected by who she's dating. You, and attempts to "purposefully cut your heart" do not make it to the consideration of her romantic life. You are self-centereed.

there's nothing the matter with mentioning some part of our life, but not telling every deepest detail!

I tell freinds things from my life, but no one gets every deep intimate detail about health, job, relationships. To tell or expect EVERYTHING shows a poor understanding of normal boundaries and the value of privacy. There is no expectation of the right to know everything about everyone (why would you want to?), nor is it manipulative to tell some news, but not everything. It's wise.

most people grow into their sense of keeping their own counsel. When we were young, we needed to tell everyone everything about our lives, it validated us. As we grew, we needed that less and come to see the mature dignity in keeping our own counsel, the beauty of personal space, the intimacy of secrets shared with one special person, not blabbed to every girl in the lunchroom.

she's matured and you're still in the high school mode.

I used to tell her every sordid detail. Then one day, as she was telling me really private stuff about another woman, I realized, She does that to ME too! She tells other people my private stuff I told her in confidance!

I shut off the supply to the gossip monger.

of course it's high school to expect your freind to tell you every intimate deatil about her romance with a lover, it's really not much of a romance if most of it isn't kept between the 2 lovers.

much less to consider it a deliberate attempt to hurt you if she decides to keep it between her and her BF.

There comes a time in your maturation when your relationships are between you and your lover, not you and your lover and your 5 closest gal pals, and whoever they choose to tell.

No, the dude isn't hacking to irritate you. He's got allergies, smoker's hack, reactive lung disease, emerging emphysema, or something like that.

HIS sickness is NOT all about YOU.

Get some earphones.

unless you are a writer for a magazine, for just ONE example.

more examples of the misplaced arrogance of self-appinted writers (as opposed to those who are actually paid by someone to write).

(btw, posting snarky responses on blogs does not make you a writer, lol)

Sure, we don't call the LW evil. She's been through evil and makes bad decisions. But she needs to acknowledge that the choices were her own and that they are self-destructive. Play with fire, get burned. Date married men, get hurt. See the pattern and CHANGE.

if you work in a cubicle farm, you have to learn to live with it or find a new job. Getting unrealistic about everyone's obligation to do what you want is not a choice.

Boy, could I obsess about most people on my floor. It isn't their fault, it's the fault of cheap coporations that won't build real offices, but choose these horrible cubicles. You can hear everything, the guy 3 cubes over yelling at his wife on the phone, the inspections department laughing very loudly at everything, the secretary's loud flip flops, the guy who likes country and western, etc. etc. etc. Sometimes, in the afternoon it gets so noise, I just put on my headphones and focus on my work.

But I try to act like a grown up. See the situation for what it is: a reality of modern day cubicledom. I find a solution and deal.

I don't blame other people.

NO, but I DO want a corporate culture that does not expect people to put in 100 hours a week, or even 50. You should be able to work AND have a family, not have to work long hours just to keep your paycheck.