DIFFUSING Conflict!

INTRO:
I submit to you a Case History of 2 very close friends that experienced an ugly ‘Fall Out’. The crux of their conflict is inconsequential as the purpose of this entry centers upon their paths that unwittingly merge into a face-to-face encounter with incendiary potential.

AFTERMATH:
Several weeks went by in our estranged relationship and neither of us bothered to reach out to the other. Both of us were staunch in our positions of disagreement. Then one day, UNEXPECTEDLY on a college campus and out of the blue- we each turned a corner (from the opposite direction) and ran into each other. 10 paces away we immediately stopped DEAD in our tracks, both taken by surprise!

AWKWARD Moment, to say the least!  Both having a loss for words, we just stood there for several seconds like 2 gunslingers in a duel …Instinctively, my Cre-A-Tiv-Ity gear KICKED-IN (ala Flint).

So, in a classic High-Noon western style STAND-OFF; with eyes squinted, fixed on my opponent, I turned my body sideways taking an exaggerated stance. Then, with a POINTED Index Finger near an imaginary HOLSTER- in lightning-quick speed, I DREW my hand upwards, AIMING at my estranged buddy proclaiming,

BANG!”

That gesture, of course, broke the ice, and we both laughed at the hilarity of the moment. With BIG smiles on our faces, we greeted each other with a brotherly handshake. Of course, the controversy STILL existed between us, but the angst and anger instantly dissipated with the shared laughter. Even though the relationship wasn’t as close as it once was, we made amends and carried on.

INTROSPECTION:
“Conflict is inevitable, but combat is optional.”- Max Lucado

“Don’t fight a battle if you don’t gain anything by winning.”- George S Patton

“Conflict cannot survive without your participation.” – Wayne Dyer

“Do not get upset with people or situations, both are powerless without your reaction.” -Unknown

“Our response to conflict can perpetrate the conflict itself.”- Unknown

“10% of conflict is due to difference in opinion and 90% is due to delivery & tone of voice.” -Unknown

P.S.
The Case Study above proved the following point: Every time you can find some humor in a difficult situation, you WIN.

B.P.S.
Just a passing memorandum in the archives entitled ‘Close Friends that Once Were’ ...From the Lookout Post.