[pct-l] social interaction / dealing with disagreeable people...

[Scott Williams]

Good points Tom. And Paul, over the entire trip last year, I only met one
person I didn't care to spend time with, and it was the constant stonedness,
and centrality of drugs that was the issue for me as well, but none of the
flaming rhetoric that occurs on the list.  I didn't meet anyone on trail who
was a flat out asshole.  And bonding with others on trail was a wonderful
part of the hike for me.  The morning might be spent talking music,
philosophy, art, beauty, health, food, sex, politics, love, or be just
quiet.  But the people and groups I hiked with, I really liked.  And it was
no problem bonding with new folks when extra zero's or a different pace
broke up a certain hiking group.  It was just great to get to know the new
bunch.  Some, however, I traveled 1,500 miles or more with, and felt just as
good about them at the end as at the begining.

You and Echo are two people who will never have a problem picking up friends
on trail.  That is clear to me from the begining sections we did together.
 Tom's points about the relative anonymity of email posts is spot on.  It's
kind of akin to road rage, where the anonymity of not really having to look
another human in the face, can bring out the real jerk in many people.

Shroomer