Herding Cats

Intolerant: Close-minded about new or different ideas; indisposed to tolerate contrary opinions or beliefs; impatient of dissent or opposition.  

I was asked to chair the meeting this morning at my home group which is embroiled in a mild "No, you're doing it wrong" controversy.  I should probably characterize it as a series of controversies because there's nothing drunks like to do more than making an mountain out of a molehill.  

I read this passage from the 12 & 12: "Finally, we begin to see that all people, including ourselves, are to some extent emotionally ill as well as frequently wrong, and then we approach true tolerance and see what real love for our fellows actually means.  It will become more and more evident as we go forward that it is pointless to become angry, or to get hurt by people who, like us, are suffering from the pains of growing up.

We can try to stop making unreasonable demands upon those we love.  We can show kindness where we had shown none.  With those we dislike we can begin to practice justice and courtesy, perhaps going out of our way to understand and help them."

My intent was to help some folks who were behaving intolerantly to see the error of their ways.  The results were predictably hilarious.  The folks who took the most out of my brilliant, insightful, illuminating share were all of the people I find intolerable.  I was reduced to laughter.  I was trying to herd cats.

People hear what they want to hear.