I was in the club, yes. No, I don’t want to be in the club again, thank you. No, there’s not much I can say about why that is – I’m sorry.

I don’t know what you can say or what you’d want to say, but someday, if I’m out that way, I’d like to buy you a beer and understand what has shaped you this way.

Sigh… It’s like acceptance, but it’s not acceptance, you know? Has he forgotten that he can be kicked out of his club for pulling that thread?

I thought it would be sufficient to say, “Look, I’ve had my fill, but that time has passed. I accumulated some karma I need to burn through.” I thought it would be sufficient to say, “Look, the group you’re working for is in the news – and not in a good way.” Today I could add, “Look at the news right now: The rules don’t apply to them; they only apply to us, and the rules don’t allow us to give examples of why that’s a problem.”

Fortunately, there is this unwritten rule:

Standing Policy

the essays I write
on your reading them become
meaningless haiku