Suspending...

Suspension of disbelief: the audience tacitly agrees to provisionally suspend judgment ...

My current attempt to suspend disbelief comes in response to this unsolicited note from a friend who noticed my changed LinkedIn status:

Subject: Bummer!

You got laid off? I know you are so good at what you do, but you were certainly in the wrong industry at the wrong time, huh? :(

So sorry.

I hereby suspend any judgment as to the value of this message or its author!

Of course, the alternative to such suspension - actually sending my response that is currently saved in my "drafts" folder - may not really build bridges anyway....

Subject: Bummer back!

Hey, thanks for the note. Guess NOBODY'S safe these days: I just read that (your industry) is due to shrink by a gazillion percent this next quarter. But I'm sure you'll recoup at some point. Hope you don't lose your shirt in the meantime!

Diane Bisgeier is exploring opportunities in SF and NYC.