the loneliness of gifts

I find it strange that when you give someone a gift or do something nice for someone, there is sometimes a welling up of loneliness. Certainly, there are occasions when you find yourself giddy with euphoria and lovingness, especially when the effort is well-received, but it is not always so.Of late, even my most fervent efforts at stoicism seem to fall by the wayside if I even let myself feel the slightest emotion. If you turn up the volume to listen to the music, you sometimes find that a different instrument is playing than you thought, and lately it seems to be the sad, melancholy bassoon. And then your thoughts swirl around the feelings until you are numb from it. And you strive to swim back to the rocks of unfeeling that you had found so much comfort in. And you can't get anything done at work. And you don't sleep well at night.Kinda depressing, eh?Let's change the subject.Interesting links of the moment:A Wired article on digital paper.An interesting RealMedia interview on NPR's Fresh Air about rebels in Afghanistan. I wish Pakistan would stop supporting the Taliban. But then, I suppose the U.S. has been doing similar things all throughout its history.