Send my regards...

I'm no stickler for etiquette, I believe that people shouldn't cloak themselves in too many formal gestures. Save it for the movies. But there is one thing that truly turns my spats inside out - and that is passing along messages via a proxy. It's just so limp and half-hearted. Not to mention a passed buck to the messenger. I understand it's not an overt, malevolent act, but it is passive-aggressive as all hell. How can one expect to convey anything authentic or of value when the underlying message screams, "I couldn't be bothered to contact you in person..."? If one can't make a space to communicate directly and with sincerity to someone they know then it's probably best not to do it at all. Instead, one could spend that time asking why they're unable make a space to communicate directly and with sincerity. Of course they could also ask someone else to pass the message on to themselves, thus creating a feedback loop of epic proportions, which would be a very interesting outcome in all of this. Furthermore, one could argue that this post is a perfect example of the very behavior I'm taking to task. Then the Earth imploded.