Bagheera, when you say any response other than validation would make me feel exasperated . . . tell me if I'm kidding myself here. I really think that if she could find it in herself to say, "Since you asked, I do feel pressured, but if you could change this and this, I wouldn't" and actually follow through when I follow through, I don't think that would be exasperating. I think it was her attempt to play both sides and avoid giving me an answer that I found so frustrating.
Maybe she can't do that, but I think it would work.
