It's Always Our Own Rap: Reply to Commentaries

First, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to Sarah Hill and Neil Altman for taking the time to comment on my paper. Just as Hill had mixed feelings in reading my paper, my initial reaction to the two commentaries was mixed. I was certainly pleased by Altman's positive comments, but somewhat taken aback by Hill's remarks. It was only after reading her commentary more carefully that I began to appreciate how thoughtful her observations were and how tactful she was in articulating them. In my opinion, the rather diverse views Altman and Hill express in their commentaries, capture the contrasting reactions this treatment can evoke and convey what was achieved and shared and what remained unexplored and unsaid.

Writing this reply turned out to be more difficult than I had anticipated. I certainly did not want to embark on a point-by-point reply, to have the “last word” as Likierman (2006) remarked in her recent reply to commentaries on her paper, or to convey the impression that I had the answers all along. After all, reading Altman and Hill's commentaries made me contemplate aspects of Chris's treatment I had not considered before. What I hope is to add to this discussion by sharing several of the thoughts and reactions the two commentaries evoked in me and to also respond to some of the remarks that, in my opinion, warrant a response.

However, as I attempted to formulate my reply I was quite surprised to find my thoughts shifting, with each thought ushering me to a new one, and with each new thought negating the relevance of the former, only to be negated in turn by the next. This rather unsettling experience of “shifting