However to save you folks from such unnecessarily self-inflicted pains, here is what I’d learned from this episode:-

• Never shoot off your mouth (or email) when you’re feeling down in the dumps. Bad moods tend to cloud your good judgments and senses. Wrong choices of words can be hurtful.
• Realise that you’ll never get to know or understand a person fully irregardless of how long you’ve known them. It’s always the people who are closest to us that we know the least.
• Never argue with a fool or someone with thicker skin than you. They are prepared to humiliate/embarrass themselves publicly – but are you?
• Maturity and grace has nothing to do with age, position or educational levels. Age may in fact make certain people bitter, arrogant and intolerant of opposing views.
  
• People have big and more importantly fragile EGOS at that. Some are powder keg just waiting to be ignited! You do not want them to explode in your face. So tread carefully.
  
• Some people take themselves way too seriously and have no sense of humour. So do not assume that they'll take anything in a lighthearted manner that you may. Be sensitive of people's feelings.
  
• If you must send off a sensitive email to a group – please do NOT disclose their names on the list. Do it as “Undisclosed Recipients”. This is an important lesson.
  
• It may not be wise sometimes to be truthful about your feelings. Keep it bottled or risk getting it off your chest and be prepared for the repercussions.
  
• Expect the unexpected. While the majority of the people will dwell on what you have written and response to you in a calm and thoughtful manner; there will be the odd one or two who would impulsively react negatively in a knee-jerk manner. Spastic!
  
• Some people do not accept apologies. They'd rather hate than forgive and move on.
• I'm not perfect - no way! Hopefully I learn from my mistakes.
• It may be time to burn some bridges as some 'friends' are probably not worth having.
• No one is right or wrong and it's not important. Keeping a friendship may be more important.
  
• Let sleeping dogs lie.

So for whoever I had inadvertently offended I offer my unreserved apologies as that’s the last thing I would do. I’d rather go kayaking anytime!

But for those who get offended irregardless of whatever I may say or write; you know where to find the nearest body of water to jump in! I'm just kidding! Be well irregardless!

“Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression. Do not repeat them in the future.”
Swami Sivananda

“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.”
Albert Einstein

“All men make mistakes, but only wise men learn from their mistakes.”
Winston Churchill

“There are no mistakes. The events we bring upon ourselves, no matter how unpleasant, are necessary in order to learn what we need to learn; whatever steps we take, they're necessary to reach the places we've chosen to go.”
Richard Bach

“Learn from the mistakes of others-you can never live long enough to make them all yourself.”
John Luther

Stumble It!