Controversy Continued

I guess controversy can't be avoided at times. It follows you wherever you go. This morning in my Bible study class a woman had just heard of the protest over an art exhibit at the Loveland Museum/Gallery. She went on and on and hadn't even seen the piece in question. When I spoke up telling her I'm a docent at the museum, her opinion of me changed to the negative. Long story short, she apologized and we discussed the situation and disregarded her first emotional response.

How would you handle controversy over something you'd written? I wrote an article on the exhibit that was published in a small local newspaper last Thursday. The editor's husband is in the Bible study class. He and I discussed it briefly. I wondered if I should write something this week that neither defended nor supported the exhibit but explained the situation. His attitude was to probably ignore it. That, too, was my first response. Instead, I think I'll go ahead with my original plan and write an article on the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. Hopefully, no one can protest anything in that show. It is history along with artifacts found in the grave. Then again, someone might protest the fact the grave was disturbed.

No matter what you write about, someone could find fault. Have you written in innocence something that created a stir? How did you handle it?

A note on networking. While listening to music at a Dixieland Jazz Festival over the weekend, I read and studied Frederic Remington, the next subject in my HOW THE WEST WAS DRAWN series. Several people commented on my reading. I explained. One woman wanted more information. I gave her my card. Well, actually, I found out I'd left my cards at home and had to improvise with information on the back of someone else's card. Which prompts me to remind you - always carry writing business cards. I've been caught without them twice now. Add some extras in your checkbook in case you leave the holder/cards at home. Put a few in anything you always carry with you on trips whether it is in your suitcase, wallet, checkbook or make-up bag/shaving kit!