Bluster and Bluff

I was sent a rather scary solicitors' letter this week which advised me that if I did not comply with something my neighbour wanted me to do, "counsel would be briefed" and I would be taken to court.

Sheesh!

That's not really the kind of thing I like to get in the post.

The letter is designed to intimidate and for a whole day this is exactly what it succeeds in doing. So while I am trying to concentrate on work, and the play, and meetings; there is a lurking unease and fear permeating everything I am doing.

Until suddenly I take a deep breath and think enough.

More and more I am starting to believe that men simply don't get subjected to the same f***ing crap which comes my way. I don't believe Line Manager would have publicly humiliated a man, I don't believe New Boss would have told a man he was "being silly", and I certainly don't believe my male neighbour would attempt to intimidate and threaten a man.

What all this amounts to is bullying.
And I absolutely hate, despise and loathe being bullied.

So I offer up a prayer for being in the luxurious position of having my own office; and spend four hours writing a response couched in equivalent legalese in which I refuse to meet their client's unreasonable, ridiculous deadline and demands, make a number of demands of my own, and advise them that I am consulting a litigation solicitor with immediate effect.

Today I receive a second letter from my neighbour's solicitor.
He has agreed to meet all my counter demands and pay the relevant legal costs.

Well, that's a relief - given that since hand-delivering my initial letter I have done absolutely bugger all about progressing the matter, and I certainly haven't got round to contacting a solicitor...

I was just bluffing.

It's been a weird week! And leaves me pondering that I don't seem to have too much difficulty being relatively "spiritual" when people leave me alone and allow me to get on with my own business. But its a real struggle when someone rattles my cage.

There was a time no-one rattled my cage much because I snarled, growled and roared whenever anyone came near it. But now people rattle it all the time !!

What's changed?
I guess I have changed.
But sometimes - just sometimes - I wish I could still deploy my former snarl.
Because it was enough to send people screaming for the hills.