Catholic guilt rears its head

But not for the reason you might think.

Nope - I'm not questioning this whole project.  Instead, guilt has been rearing its ugly head because my sister commented that I've been "mean to Joe in the blog."  And that was only a couple days after Joe himself told me that I'd missed some of what he'd said. 

So, I just want to say for the record - I'm sorry.  I really do like Joe.  I care about him quite a bit.  We still spend time together.  I do not have ill feelings toward him.  I do not intend to be mean to him.  I also do not intend to misrepresent him or his words.  (At the risk of doing so now, though, let me be clear - he did say that as it's my blog I can write whatever I like.  He's not offended.  He understands the creative license that goes into paraphrasing a half hour conversation into a short-ish blog post.  He has, more-or-less, given his blessing for me to write anything I'd like about him.  And he says that not only will he not mind, he'll still like me.  So I have to ask - what's not to love?)

Guilt is a funny thing.  I'm convinced that my relationship with guilt has a whole lot to do with those years and years of Catholic school.  Thus, despite the fact that he doesn't have a problem with it, my sister's admonition that I've been mean to Joe compels me to issue a public apology.

I'm sorry, Joe, if anything I've written about you on this blog has been mean. 
I think you're a good person..

I'm grateful to have met you.

I'm glad you're in my life.

Even if the realities of how you're in my life have changed.