Just
the Facts, Ma'am
“Exaggeration
is truth that has lost its temper.”
Kahlil
Gibran
When
I was a very young woman, I married a plain-spoken man. He never
embellished or used flowery words when he spoke. It was like living
with Joe Friday from Dragnet. At the time, I was made restless by it.
I thought, “Surely he knows that adjectives and adverbs exist!”
But no. I was likely to receive a monosyllabic answer to most every
question. And, more deadly than that, he did not dance.
Recently,
I logged onto his Facebook page and saw pictures of him at his
daughter's wedding. He was animated, he was dancing, and smiling and
obviously having a grand old time. Something joyful has broken open
inside him and released the demon who bound his feet, and held his
tongue. Perhaps I was that demon.
Do
you ever think of yourself that way? Do you look at life from the
perspective of “the other?” When life is not going the way you
think it should, instead of exaggerating the situation with
“awfulizing,” with lamentation and complaint, simply ask
yourself, “Who is having a problem with this?” And if the answer
is “I am,” then assume that you also hold the solution. Our
problem may not stem from the actions of another, but from our own
exaggeration of those actions. We rile ourselves up, and then spew
blame. At least, I do.
I
would probably appreciate that plain-spoken man now—now that I've
learned that truth can be told without embellishment and problems do
not require blame. In these days of excess trash-talk and hyperbole, he would be a
breath of fresh air. And I'm glad he's dancing, even if he's dancing
with someone else.
In
the Spirit,
Jane
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