My apologies for just now getting to this thread; I've been focused on a number of other things flowing through my life the past two days. But I'm reading this thread now, and there have been requests for moderator input.
Yes; on an online forum like this one, we know little of the lives of those with whom we communicate; and events do unfold in unexpected and undesired ways.
Postings here suggest that we have one person with pressing financial and family issues, and another who had thought they had just purchased a beautiful Alembic bass. And there are others who, given their own past experiences, offered their views of events.
In my own view, I don't think it unreasonable to characterize this event as unfortunate; and I do not think it necessary to pass judgement, or guilt, on either side here. Sometimes the decisions we make, the reactions we have, the things we write, are all just messy. And that's ok; we're human.
What I think important is that each of look upon the others here with compassion, with empathy, that we each put ourselves in the other person's shoes, that we in good faith make an effort to understand the other person's position. It is what we often wish our government leaders would do; we often wish that belligerent government leaders would bring understanding and respect to the negotiation table rather than escalating hostilities and hardening positions. And if it something that we wish our governments would do, then it is something that we can endeavor to attempt in our daily lives as well.
So yes, an unfortunate unfolding of events; things are often messy when human beings make their way through this world. But fortunately, neither party here suffered significant loss. And if we so choose, we can look at these events with an eye to bringing understanding and compassion for the other, not only here in this thread, but to all of our interactions with others.
When we look around the world, we see civil wars, border disputes, we see hard-hearted hatred. When we look at such conflicts, we often wonder why they can't sit down at the table and work to find common ground, work for the good of all, have compassion. And we are right to ask that question; and with practice we can bring understanding and compassion in our daily activities as well.
So perhaps go out and sit on the porch for a few minutes, gaze up into the sky, breath, deeply, fully, filling the body with the breathe, with that air that we all share, find a moment of peace, just being for a moment with that which we feel at the core of our being.
Then go play your bass.
