Monday, April 23, 2018

Trifecta

There is a story in the news right now about an outdoorsman who was recently bitten by a shark. It turns out a few years ago he was attacked by a bear. And a year or so before that he was bitten by a rattlesnake. If there is anything that epitomizes the term "trifecta" it is that. (I have a feeling that somewhere there is a gerbil patiently biding its time for the day when this guy crosses its path.) The fact this adventuress soul has survived all three of these encounters of the worst kind is good news, of course. But given what has happened to him - let's be honest - it is also funny. How could it not be? By the way, a word of advice: if this guy ever asks you out to lunch, then before answering you may first want to confirm what is on the menu.

Jokes aside, one would be forgiven for concluding that this man may be feeling down on himself for putting himself in vulnerable positons on a continuing basis. He may also be feeling frustrated for not being able to enjoy nature without also being victim of some unexpected and awful attack. It is also possible that he is feeling as if he cannot do anything right. While none of these experiences has happened to me, I can certainly empathize with his reaction to it all. Yes, being on the receiving end of attacks by three deadly creatures is terrible but "nature" is not the only aspect of the world where similar feelings are felt.

In the world of communication frustration can often feel as if it is a way of life. An example would be a person whose words are misinterpreted by others, is not listened to when she or he tries to restate what they initially said, and then attempts to write their message down only to be told their writing is messy and therefore unreadable. This is a trifecta of another kind. As communicators we need to take extra care is how we interact with others because do not always go well and the unexpected can occur in ways that can have awful consequences.  

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