March 2nd, 2026 - Something Familiar

Dear TNY,

“Something Familiar” is this week’s offering.

I don’t want to hurt anybody.  I never did.  Don’t get this twisted, I’ve never hurt anyone like the fella in this story; that’s not why I’m saying that.  Also, physical violence isn’t in my DNA.

Words, though?  They hurt.  We all hurt each other with the words we choose to say and the ones we don’t.  I don’t want to hurt anyone with this critique.  It’s making me not want to write it.

This story hurt me.  Like, pretty badly.  Still not sure why.  I took a break after reading it.  Walked away.  I’ll probably think about it for a while.  After the hurt came anger, though.  And I didn’t want to write angry.  I’ve said/written things in the past out of anger and it’s not a good look, and I’m immensely sorry for the pain I’ve caused by doing that, oftentimes not even knowing which particular things I said that were so hurtful.  And I want to justify it, right?  Say how hurt I was.  But it doesn’t matter.  All of us, including the people who hurt me, are supposed to be the bigger person.  And I haven’t always been.  I got hurt and I hurt back.  That’s bullshit and not something I would teach my children to do.  Why do I do it? 

So I don’t have to write angry about this piece.  The hurting can stop here.  I don’t have to pass it on just because I’m in pain.

This story is well written.  She’s a good author.  I know and like her work.  This one didn’t work for me, though.

Nick