Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

Let us mean what we say and say what we mean. Sometimes that requires too much effort. The effort is worth it if we want others to take us seriously.

You know what I mean, huh? You get my drift, right? Just go along with me on this one.

And then one day, someone else makes a face when I say something. They turn their back on me and walk away never to return. Huh? Don’t they get it?

No, the other person doesn’t “get it.” There has been to much hem and haw (do people still use that expression?) and arm waving and funny looks on my face in an attempt to convey information. I have repeatedly not meant what I said and said what I meant. I just sort of gave impressions for a long time.

Clear thought and speech are not easy. Clear thought and speech just don’t fit with some persons. “Be in this specific place at this specific time with these specific things in at hand.” Gosh, that is a lot of effort. Isn’t close enough good enough?

Sometimes close enough is good enough. Often, close enough is good enough. There is, however, a point when close enough is tiresome—tiresome enough to end a relationship (the old, “flip the bozo bit” expression).

We have a dire situation. Specific measures will solve the situation. Close enough won’t be good enough.

Let’s do better. Clear thought and speech require effort. We can do that. We can mean what we say and say what we mean.