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Diplomacy!
A young man was traveling through Europe after his college graduation and,
since he had been away for three weeks, his brother called from home to ask how he was doing.
After assuring his brother that he was fine and having quite a
good time, he asked how everyone was.
Jimmy, the brother in the States said that all were good and missing him.
He then asked about his pet cat, and his brother reluctantly told him that the cat had died.
Obviously upset, he said that he would have to call Jimmy back.
Two hours later, John, the traveling brother calls Jimmy,
who apologized for telling him about his cat.
John said that the news could be given with a little more sensitivity.
Jimmy admitted that he was kind of blunt, but really
didn’t know how else to give him that kind of news.
John suggested that perhaps in the first phone call that he could have
said that the cat was on the roof and wouldn’t come down.
In the next call he could say that the cat fell from the roof and
was hurt, and in the next call, tell him that the cat had
died thus giving him some time to prepare emotionally.
Jimmy saw the wisdom in this approach and again apologized for his bluntness.
Another three weeks pass and John calls home to speak to Jimmy asking how things were.
“Well,” replied his brother, “Mom’s on the roof.”
