Voicemail (IC Contact Post) NEW

[abrightboy]

This is Bright. Leave a message.

Comments

[abrightboy]

I have no evidence to suggest he'd give me the time of day; he brushed me off the last, like, six times. I'd love to resolve this. I'd love to build a bridge where we can at least have a mutual professional respect. I outright told him I was interested in talking before, in building a bridge. I told him it's different if we're not talking about me, sort of joking, because I thought maybe we could talk about something less... fraught than my personal life and establish a baseline for communication there. He thought I was offering him therapy and when I said I wasn't he didn't even answer. I'm not asking to be his best buddy and hang out with him. But he's the one doing the brushing off, Arthur, so how does me reaching out to him yet again bring him to the table?

[lestercraft]

Perhaps don't treat the fact that he's upset with the situation as a joke, when you do reach out to him? Neither of you are flippant men - if I'd come to you making light of the fact you and Sheehan were arguing you'd have been offended, and quite rightfully. You both take the situations before you with their full weight- a-at least that's the impression you've given me so far, one I'd hope is accurate.

Sheehan will meet you halfway if you make a sincere offer to make amends. And I'm not saying that you're required to do all of the lifting in this scenario, but as you already noted, Sheehan is avoiding you. He's not going to seek closure on this when he's perfectly willing to ignore the issue entirely. So you are the one with options here, Mr Bright. Either continue hounding him for something he doesn't want to give you, make a sincere attempt to connect and hear him out without patronising the situation - or leave him be.

[abrightboy]

I didn't treat the situation as a joke. I made a very harmless joke about myself to try to break the ice in the freeze out I was experiencing. I never claimed not to be socially awkward, but I never made any jokes about him or our disagreement. So why don't you find out if he is actually willing to talk to me and I would be willing to talk to him also. Okay? We can meet in the middle of the figurative bridge.

[lestercraft]

If someone were to disparage themselves to me, Mr Bright, when they were expecting me to take them seriously - I wouldn't. It's as simple as that. Especially for a personal problem.

[abrightboy]

Well, apparently everyone is different. I’ll reach out to him myself, then. Thanks for the advice. I hope it’ll help bridge the gap.

[lestercraft]

Thank you for your patience, Bright. Best of luck.

[He's not actually sure if anything will come of it. But he's said his piece; that's on Malcolm now. And so he hangs up.]