Throw away comments.
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Throw away comments are those things we say quickly without careful thought, often in an attempt to be funny. We have all made throw away comments so none of us are exempt.
Yesterday I wrote about a toothless employee I interacted with as I went to the store to purchase seeds. That post prompted a comment that has inspired my thought today.
I remember being at a youth activity once and a kid said something like, "That's more embarrassing than living in a trailer". And there I was, having lived in a trailer half my life, and then a modular home. I was really hurt by it…
I am certain that this comment got a few laughs. But I don’t imagine that the young person in this experience set out that morning with the intention of hurting someone with that comment. He likely had no clue about the living situations of those in the group and I like to believe that if they had, they would have refrained from making such a comment.
Sometimes the comments we ‘Throw Away’ can stay for years in another’s landfill.
We can probably all cite a seemingly innocent quip that caused deep hurt. And the truth is, someone, somewhere, has probably been hurt because of a throw away comment you or I have said.
This is a two-edged sword. Of course we need to be more mindful and careful with the words we use, but we equally need to toughen our backs and thicken our skins. We live in a world with billions of imperfect people all struggling and working their way through. So bumps are inevitable along the way.
Sometimes we can allow ourselves to become hurt by everything and everyone. When this happens I believe it is more a reflection on who and where we are than it is on the person we accuse of causing the offense.
But we need to be more careful. Life isn’t getting easier. The more I observe, the more I listen, the more I experience, the more I conclude that life is hard and that just about everyone is carrying burdens that at times seem almost too much to bear.
The last thing a struggling person needs is a thoughtless throw away comment from you or I. None of us is perfect, relationships are messy, but we could all try to be a little more thoughtful with the words we use.
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