It’s All Too Much Issue # 4
I have a confession.
As an unwitting victim of hyperbole I have taken a close look at myself recently and have grown uncomfortable with what I see.
I have allowed some of my talent to be misappropriated. No, no, that’s not correct. I take full responsibility for my lack of awareness. As an airy Gemini, I possess a predilection for words, drama, and enthusiasm. This is the good part.
The dark side is when I have fallen into tendencies toward hyperbole, exaggeration, expletives, misuse of words of power, and a tendency to over-dramatize when I speak. Not always, certainly, but rather often. I watch myself do these things when I am agitated, aggravated, angry … Hmmm seems like when I am under the influence of adrenaline.
I was a sponge for dramatization throughout school, being in every play that came along. I adored speech class. To this day, I love public speaking. Without an outlet for these passions, it appears I have allowed them to seep into my daily interactions in ways that ultimately disempower me.
If everything is a BIGDEAL, then nothing is a big deal. Like sensory overload, hyperbole numbs the listener and builds a wall between the ears and the heart. The allegory of the Boy Who Cried Wolf holds a message I have long remembered, but have seldom taken personally.
A few years back, I, much as everyone else within my ken watched a good deal of television. The shows I enjoyed often had a few characters who would totally overdramatize things. Think of Cordelia on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. With Cordelia and her groupies of the 'popular girls,' everything was OMG this and OMG that. Oh yeah, and 'TOTALLY!'. How lame that I would pick that up and incorporate it into my vernacular. And me, an adult, no less. Think 'sponge.'
I guess, one way or another, we all have our bling. Mine is verbal rather than in clothing and accessories.
Living a life surrounded by wonderful men, military men, police officers, strong, good men who fought crime and served our country in both war and in peace, I have enjoyed their influence on my life. Many of my reading choices have been influenced by them, as well as many of the TV shows and movies I have seen. Yes, I do have a personal interest in cop and military books and visual material, as well as those who follow those careers. Not being a participant in the vocations, I have absorbed much of the language. And yes, this does include a full lexicon of less than polite words.
The Power of Words (just a brief look at this vast topic)
No word in and of itself is intrinsically bad. They are a conglomeration of letters standing in for sounds. What is good or bad is the intention of the word and what is trying to be conveyed. The meaning implied or traditionally ascribed to the word is wherein lies the possibility of overstatement, misinterpretation or knee-jerk escalation of conflict.
We touched briefly in an earlier blog, on the concept of offense. I would refer again to that topic as well.
The majority of us all run our mouths off meaninglessly at times. Lacking thought, intention or consideration, sometimes these thoughtless words hurt, sometimes they fall on deaf ears. Couple that with hyperbole, with allowing the ego-self to knee-jerk responses to stimuli whether it be an assault, a reprimand, a flirtation or a stubbed toe, and an individual’s power may drain away much like pouring gasoline on either a concrete driveway or a pile of brush. It will evaporate into the atmosphere, its molecules joining the air we breathe (yuck), or it will ignite into a fiery destructive force.
Wasting power, misusing power, whilst feeling powerless are very common tendencies within our culture. What we do not realize is that every word spoken, every thought held, is an act of power, for good or ill.
I know a woman who stands above this crowd in my eyes. In fact, she has caused me to open my eyes to myself and by comparison, I come up short in this area, and to her I am very grateful. This woman is most uncommon. One does not encounter someone like her often. Especially someone of her generation. She is quite a bit younger than me. Maybe mid thirties. Hard to say. She is genteel. Genteel like my Grandma Fern was. She is soft-spoken. When she speaks, people listen. Actually listen to what she has to say. She does not expostulate. I have never heard her raise her voice, except to communicate with the hard-of-hearing. She has no hyperbole in her speech or flourishes in her demeanor. She is graceful in every sense of the word. She exudes an inner elegance that has absolutely nothing to do with the contents of high fashion magazines. She is blessedly bling-free. This young woman has become something of a role model for me. With all of her unassuming gentle strength, she has achieved management level in the companies for which she works.
In some small way, I think she lives Jesus’ admonitions about a soft answer turneth away wrath and the beatitude that the meek shall inherit the Earth.
The problem with that Beatitude, is that people do not know the true meaning of the word ‘meek.’ Jesus, Himself defines ‘meek,’ in the book Love Without End tm Jesus Speaks by Glenda Green, on page 47, line 36 to 48, line 3, where He says: “In your language meek implies humility and servitude. This is not what I meant. The word ‘moderate’ would more accurately convey my message.”
Temperate is a good word. Moderation in all things does not mean to eschew all things, but simply to consider factors and consequences, take responsibility, and tread lightly. Softness and kindness do not imply weakness. The gentleness of a mother tiger with her kits belies the power and strength within.
It is to these things that I aspire. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable unto You, my Strength and my Redeemer,” is somewhere in the Bible, probably Psalms. I know, I have quoted that previously. It's one I use each day, so bear with me, okay?
But what to do about all of that adrenaline? How does an angered werewolf keep from shifting into the wolf form when adrenaline pumps richly through his bloodstream? I think deep breathing and a silent plea for divine help and guidance are key. Archangel Michael is always willing to help if he is asked to do so. Unless physical danger is imminent and a response is crucial, think about something else. Celery, puppies, birthday cake, or something unassociated and delightfully pleasant will help to calm the beast within, whether one is a werewolf or not.
Hmmm. there is an introduction to a forthcoming topic in that. One near and dear to my heart.
Until next time,
Blessings from
Victoria
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