An Apology

[Steve Packard]

The following is a transcript from a recent meeting of my local W.A.
chapter, led by Les S. Moore.

**************
Steve: Hi. I'm Steve, and I'm a Windbag.

Members: Hi, Steve!

Steve: I've been clean and concise for 53 minutes now. I've known
I've had a problem for quite some time now, and it's a daily struggle
as we all know. I keep falling off the Succinct Wagon, but I dust
myself off and climb right back on. But recently I hit rock bottom.

I just got back from a trip to Indiana to attend my 25th Reunion. In
fact, that reminds me of an interesting story....

Les: Careful, Steve. Focus on your point and avoid unnecessary (and
dull) digressions.

Steve: Thanks, Les. While I was in Indiana, a friend showed me a
printout of an email I sent to my High School group in response to a
"Where Are You Now" query.

I was stunned as I flipped through several dull pages and even then
hadn't approached the end of my ramblings. I was overcome with shame
and embarrassment as I realized that I had publicly sunk so low. It's
the height of arrogance and self-absorption to drone on about the
minute details of one's life without being asked for that level of
response.

I was also appalled to realize that that wasn't my only offence, and
that I had written other lengthy messages to the group, telling myself
that they were witty and entertaining. It turns out that they were
neither -- only the conceited prattling of a Windbag.

I knew then that I needed help, and so I came back to W.A. as soon as I
returned from Indiana.

Thank you, and may the Terse be with you.

Members: And with you, Steve.
**************

As I look back at that meeting, I'm facing Step 427 on my road to
recovery. (Our verbal addiction group has more steps than most of the
other addiction groups.) Step 427 is to face those we've wronged and
to apologize.

So ... I am sincerely sorry for wasting your time, eyesight, and
bandwidth with needless details in my email. Those are precious
moments which I can't return to you. I will make every effort to stay
clean and concise (well, after THIS message -- I mean it this time),
and to not revert to my lengthy discourses. My future messages might
still be dull, but hopefully they won't take much of your time.

Jerry: As administrator of our Oak Hill Group, perhaps you could be so
kind as to remove my epic babblings (the shorter ones can remain,
especially if I was taking a verbal swing at you) so that future
readers won't be needlessly subjected to them.

Thanks for listening,

Steve

[Jerry Hall]

I don't know, perhaps what's on the list should stay on the list.

However, in all seriousness, if someone wants something removed or folks want the group to become hidden from anyone but members I will be happy to accommodate them. You can, of course, direct such requests to me off list if you are uncomfortable with any possible similarities to Stalinist historical purges.  Sorry, seriousness slip.  Seriously, any requests for redactions will be honored.

Steve, from a Foucauldian standpoint I think you are internalizing an oppressive social norm of concision in discourse but perhaps you will imagine yourself to be happier when you are in conformity with social discipline. 

Jerry

PS Does that mean I can't post my list of my top fifty movies with terse commentary and plot analysis?

[Packard, Steven R.]

Jerry,

 

What days and times do your meetings gather?  I might need to know if I find myself in Chicago and start to get loquacious.

 

Steve

[Jerry Hall]

Clarity and concision are sins in academia.  We don't have W.A.  In fact, if anyone reads these short postings I'm liable to be punished.

[Julie01961]

Is it just me or does it seem like the Brothers Crane are going at it? 

Steve - you owe me an email about GenCon.  Enough loquaciousness already!

[Packard, Steven R.]

So basically the nickname of The Windy City has nothing to do with meteorology.  That makes a lot of sense now.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jerry Hall [mailto:gerald.h...@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, August 24, 2005 1:50 PM
To: Oak-Hill-High-Sch...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: An Apology

Clarity and concision are sins in academia.  We don't have W.A.  In fact, if anyone reads these short postings I'm liable to be punished.

On 8/24/05, Packard, Steven R. <srpa...@lasd.org> wrote:

[Jerry Hall]

GenCon?  What, are there communists infiltrating the list?

Brothers Crane?  I am certainly in favor of liberty, fraternity and equality but I am in no way consanguine with the esteemed Mr. Packard.

[Packard, Steven R.]

No, not consanguine, but surely Brothers in Spirit, Brothers in Arms.

 

But I'm the nice, popular one.

[Jerry Hall]

I knew you were possessed.

On 8/24/05, Packard, Steven R. <srpa...@lasd.org> wrote:

[Julie01961]

Jerry, I can see how you might be confused by the small word.  However it's GenCoNNNNNN not GenCoM.