I was so overwhelmed over the weekend after reading books about Martial Law that I began to narrate a number of good and bad things that occurred during such a crucial time of history to my mother; however, to my utter dismay, she suddenly capitalized on not discussing political issues at that time. So I shut my mouth.
Don’t get her wrong, my family loved talking about current issues and general facts at home; probably at that time, she was too occupied to listen to matters that required a long debate and rebuttal. Both politics and religion play a vital role in society today, however, these are topics that are often dismissed by many during regular conversation to avoid conflict, not knowing that they could have become a great venue to develop understanding and respect for each other.
Those who are close to me certainly know how upfront and vocal I am with regard to my opinion. I say what’s on my mind and acknowledge my faults because, like most of us, I’m not always correct. Though I can’t promise not to do such a thing again, I easily learn my lessons and try my best to do better the next time. While most people find comfort in badmouthing other people just to say their opinion, I believe it is easier to deal with defending the words I’ve said rather than dealing with bad blood caused by exaggerated reports weaved by other people.
Sounds brutal for many, but this lessens the time spent hating each other and easily solves the problem that was never there in the first place. Oftentimes, issues burn because other people feed the flame instead of taming it.
Perhaps there are things that we should keep to ourselves, but if you look deeply at it, have you ever wondered why such things straightforwardly come to mind? Yes. Because these are exactly what you feel at that moment, and there’s nothing wrong with what was felt. Can you imagine if you told the one you so dearly love that the feeling was mutual? What would happen if you said “yes” to an invitation you so wanted to accept but feared not being able to belong to? How about those times when you could have defended somebody but failed to do so out of fear?
Conscience is but an ugly reminder of the things that we could have done but didn’t. Of course, it’s easier to say what other people want to hear than open ourselves and share what we really feel; however, we should also learn to speak what’s on our mind, not because it’s good to say so, but because the message you want to convey needs to be heard. It’s difficult. People might reject it. Don’t feel bad, though; we are entitled to each of our opinions. Learn to respect them. Maybe they are not the right audience for you.
In time, you’ll soon find people who share the same sentiments as you do. Until then, I hope we remain true to our words, mean what we say, and say only what we mean.
Let’s have more of these reflections on trails? See you.
Dakilanglaagan 