React or Respond?

I came into work this morning and found a note that an old "friend" called and wanted me to return his call... It was someone I knew for many years through business dealings, but about a year ago he really cheated me in a business transaction. I called many times to see if we could try and rectify the situation, but despite several dozen calls, he would never talk to me. Finally, his bookkeeper told me that he knew I was upset and he wasn't going to talk to me.
So here's this note. My first reaction was that he needs something again so he wants to patch things up. Well, he can call another dozen times if he wants to talk with me. It turns out that that wasn't necessarily my response. Here's the difference: When we react to a person or situation we are allowing external circumstances to control us. When we respond we choose to control our actions and/or feelings. What responding does, in essence, is allow us to live in the solution rather than in the problem. It is an act of emotional maturity, and most always helps the other person to respond in kind. Learn to respond, rather than react, and you will raise the level of the situation.
Now I have a difficult call to make. Food for thought...