By Chukwudi Anagbogu
A young woman once sought the counsel of a priest on how to handle her husband, who always beat her up whenever they had misunderstanding. With a bandaged face, she recounted the series of beatings she had received from her husband, and how their respective families had waded in, all to no avail. The priest instructed her to always fill her mouth with water each time her husband starts nagging and shouting at her,and make sure she doesn't swallow or spit it out till the husband leaves the scene of the argument. That way, according to the priest, her husband will not lay a finger on her again. The lady was full of doubts at this 'unorthodox' prescription from the priest. She had expected the priest to summon her husband and talk sense into him. Nevertheless, she decided to carry out the instructions to the letter. A week later, she returned to the priest full of smiles, "Reverend, what you told me worked perfectly, " she said, "on three different occasions, he shouted and shouted, without laying his hands on me. That was the first time it ever happened that way. Thank you for this water, " she ended. The priest smiled back and said, "You just interpreted it literally. What it means is that you should learn to be silent in times like this. Silence is golden. You will save yourself and those around you a great deal by just keeping your mouth shut. "
It is said that what a man will do is in his mind. Two brothers had a disagreement over a serious issue. In the ensuing scuffle, the younger one threatened to deal mercilessly with his elder brother. The next day, lo and behold! the elder one was shot dead in his home by unidentified gunmen. Without much ado, his wife, who was present during the melee the previous day, effected the arrest of her brother-in-law who she accused of masterminding the attack on her husband. The suspect may not be culpable or guilty, but his words have landed him in trouble.
Words spoken, can never be retrieved. You may retract a statement, but its original content remains evergreen. Kind words nourish the heart while hostile ones kill the mind, forever.
Whenever you are tensed up or enraged, mind your words. It is advisable for you to take a walk,if not, you may end up saying or doing something that you may live to regret. Always wait for someone's mood to relax before joining issues with the person. People, particularly your superiors, parents, guardians, siblings etc may raise false alarm or accuse you wrongly. Do not match hostility with hostility. Wait for a quiet time and lay your complaints politely and courteously.
Being vulgar does not pay. It portrays you in bad light. Beware of the kind of words you employ when cracking jokes with those around you. Some jokes may just be very expensive and may not be ego -friendly. There are different strokes for different folks. People see jokes differently.
However, there are times when you must not be silent. When you are faced with danger, you must speak out, lest you perish. In the face of injustice, do not keep silent. When you see people go wrong, admonish them. Criticize constructively.
What makes one wise is the choice of words in handling situations. If you don't know what to say, simple keep quiet.
Chukwudi Anagbogu (08063305177)
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