So on the topic of effective communication, I think I may have come to the conclusion that I'm partially (not wholly) tone deaf. My dad always felt that Epsteins couldn't sing-that's not my problem. What is, I believe, is that the content of my communication gets lost in the delivery, which is oftentimes uniform, regardless of the audience. I don't think or take into account the tone or manner.
Here's hoping that awareness and admission is the first step on the road to recovery.