Email: Expectations vs. intentions [LD]

It's not like that at all. Think of it like this: We are going on a drive and I let you know the day before that I know such-and-such is happening (I may be expecting an important call that may run a tad over); I am letting you know that if I am slightly delayed, that is what's happening (so you don't wonder). This is a far cry from implying that I don't want to go on the trip at all.

I often find myself saying something in advance out of consideration, that gets mistaken as an implied message or hidden agenda; the person perceives rejection (probably because that is what he or she fears, but I'm no psychoanalyst). I fear that, since most men are incommunicative about their real motives, most people have been "trained" to perceive someone who is authentic and honest about their motives (appropriately, not indiscriminately) as weak or who knows what. I say what I mean, and I mean it from the start. If it changes, I'll let you know (sooner than later, if not promptly). Directness can be good for the soul -- within reason, that is, within boundaries.