Hear No, Speak No, See No...
I am still shaking my head, not from total disbelief
but rather utter stupidity!!After 49 years on this
planet, and possessing an above average level of
intelligence and a double serving of wisdom, I really
went beyond myself this time! Why do we operate our
mouth before we engage our brain, especially around
those people who mean the most to us?
If I had a simple explanation for this behavior,
I would be a very wealthy man! We pay strict attention
to our personal and business affairs, making sure
as to not embarrass ourselves or those around us.
We also make a point to first think about what we
are intending to say, before we actually take the
gun off safety and fire a round or two! So, with
this in mind, how can we make a complete ass of ourselves
knowing these things? Why does it always involve
someone we dearly love and respect?
Humans, as a species, are infamous for taking things
for granted. We also have cornered the market on
spontaneous behavior, making sure we exercise this
behavior when it will do the most damage! Whatever
happened to making a conscious effort to spare ourselves
from embarrassment and ridicule? How about from having
to constantly say we are sorry, once again?
We spend years falling in love, taking the smallest
of steps to insure we are doing the right things.
Making sure we respect and adore our loved one's
with everything in our power, every waking moment
of every day. Now, here comes the really good part!
We can erase, or at least do some pretty serious
damage to this love and respect in a matter of seconds!
We fail to remember that those closest to us take
each and every word in a very literal sense, not
focusing on the intent but rather the inherent message
that comes with our carefully chosen dialogue.
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If we would simply slow down, turn
down our emotions and pay a little attention to what
was getting ready to cascade over our lips, we would
have a far more simple and stress-free life! Most
of us would like to think that we know about the
preventative part of things, making sure that we
do not create a bigger problem from neglect. We can
place a fair amount of the blame for this behavior
on our emotions, and our lack of apparent common
sense, but can we honestly plead for the Fifth Amendment?
Of course not!! We should be held accountable!
The next time you find yourself in a situation where
the words might not come out right, even if it's
only a very small chance, take a few moments to reconcile
your thoughts and maintain that peaceful coexistence
that you so patiently and lovingly constructed over
so many years! I made this mistake this past week,
and feel horrible, even though my relationship is
only 6 months new!! I am quite sure that if I look
close enough, I will find a small bruise on my heart
as a result and a very special person who is still
feeling the sting! Compassion, consideration and
common sense will always go a long way towards a
healthy and lasting relationship!
by
Michael Weinstein
