An Anecdote (cont'd)

Philosophy: or a Lack Thereof

An Anecdote (cont'd)

A few weeks later, however, I offered to return to our playing together (I have no recollection of how I broached the subject), and return to play we did. I have a vague recollection that there was a third break-up and reconciliation before the final one, but if there was, I don't recollect the circumstances, and perhaps I have merely confused the third (and final) break-up with "a third time". Anyway, this was the session where at the end, I had a strong feeling that we both were ready to say good-bye forever, which proved to be the case. Or at least, I rather presumed she'd had enough, though in truth, she'd never been the one to plump for a reconciliation and of course I'll never know how an attempt would've fared, since I had no desire to reconcile.

From my side, my final disillusionment was occasioned by a rather caustic on-line retort to a complimentary remark I'd made about her play. Now, I try to mind my manners very closely on-line. I don't compliment a partner on either good defense or a good double, since it tends to sound a little like gloating and unnecessarily points to an overbid by the opps. On the other hand, I will tend to offer deserved compliments on either side. So here, when she brought home a contract I thought doomed, I said something like "I don't know how you did it, but you sure brought that baby home." At which she rapped my knuckles with a comment to the effect that I'd do well to keep my mouth shut.

My suspicion is that she'd brought it home because of bad defense, but I never did find out the reason for her rather rude chastisement of me on-line, where I think at worst, I might have been tactless (if that was the reason for her reaction), which isn't on a par with chastising a partner on-line. Anyway, I looked at my watch and said to myself, "Well, I guess I can hold on for another hour and a half," at which point I knew I'd never be partnered with her again. --- to be continued ----