What is the world coming to?
Despite it being the season of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, my car's radio and speakers have inexplicably quarreled and are now refusing to speak to each other. They are on the brink of divorce, citing irreconcilable differences. The whole atmosphere inside the car is one of silent freeze. (The air-cond has been very industrious and efficient since it was repaired. Brrr.)
After Christmas I will have to bring the car to the workshop where the mechanic/technician/engineer, a trained mediator, will hopefully be able to help my radio & speakers find some middle ground and communicate with each other once again. As a firm believer in communication, I believe that if they could only talk things out without hurling wild accusations, they would probably be able to reach some kind of resolution. As mediation can be rather expensive I do trust they will not be any more recalcitrant than they must and that they will fully cooperate with the mediator's efforts to reconcile them.
I hope that neither decides to commit suicide in a dramatic statement of discontent. Funeral rites and the cost of getting a replacement would be even more expensive. Although perhaps that could be one of the parties' secret strategy -- to get rid of its old partner so it can move on to a brand-new, sleeker, more impressive model. Now, why didn't I think of that?