Dear Sir

 

I was not the only news person who kept correspondence from readers.

Some of it was useful in planning future articles or correcting the record. All of it was useful as a reminder that there were human beings on the other end of "daily journalism."

Some of it reminded me that people could hold strong opinions about what I did. I heard from them more than I would have liked, I guess, but probably as much as I needed.

This letter from December 1990 was sent to the editorial page, and it's pretty clear from the opening line that the writer was not entirely sure about what was bugging her but wanted to grind an axe -- and she might actually have wanted to bury one in my head, figuratively speaking. LOL

I don't recall if this letter was run on the Op Ed page, but photocopies were shared with the executive editor, the managing editor and me. The paper never removed the mug shot that ran with my column; it was the paper's practice to run photos of columnists.

This letter was unusual in that most of those critical of me took issue with the content of the pieces I wrote, which were often about issues of social justice and discrimination. I studied critical letters for the points being made and occasionally, but not often, responded to them.

I won't say I ever grew indifferent to letters that were critical of me, but I do think I grew a thicker skin over the years, and bristled less often to personal attacks. (That was especially useful when I entered higher education.)

As for the reader who didn't like my mug, she may have been struggling with putting "educated" and "thought-provoking" together with my image.

I pulled out the correspondence folder today as I pondered how we would all be better off if we were less prickly, took what was useful from criticisms or barbs and left the rest -- understanding that the problems people have with us are more often than not problems they have with themselves.

Nothing we do can fix that.