Best left unspoken

Hello, lovelies.

        Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names will never hurt me. Ha! That’s not even close. A word spoken in haste can be repented at leisure, as the old saying goes. We all know that shouting ‘Fire’ in a theatre or crowded room is not only irresponsible, it can be deadly. So, is it ever okay to speak without thinking first? They’re only words, so what harm could they actually do? And those in power, are they held more accountable for what they say? Or are we all human, and words are nothing more than an expression of what we’re thinking at the time? Can we ever speak our minds, or are some words best left unspoken?

       

        I think that everyone is guilty of speaking without thinking of how what they say can have an effect on others. I do it all the time. I never mean any harm or ill intent, but as soon as a thought appears in my head, a second later it’s out in the world, said by me in my best theatrical voice. I can’t help it. Its who I am. And as most people who know me know that I tend to talk without a filter, others may completely misinterpret my intents, and take offence. Or worse judge me for a slip of the tongue. I have spent most of my adult life trying to keep my thoughts inside. To always have the filter in place, and never to say anything mean or unkind. And yet. There have been times that I have hurt someone. Or voiced my opinion without understanding that others may have totally different beliefs. But who is right? And who is to blame?  

         Shouting fire in a crowded theatre is a popular analogy for speech or actions made for the principal purpose of creating panic. Panic, however relevant, is panic none the less. And if not dealt with in the correct way can lead to devastating consequences. We can see that some words can define an entire race or section of society that can take centuries to repair the damage. That’s if we have the will to actually try. A flippant word here, or a jokey ‘locker room’ comment can destroy lives. We know that words can damage, and yet there are some people who still do it. But why? Why do some people say things that they know can lead to an adverse reaction? Case in point. Last Friday I was driving between two of my four jobs, and I realised that not only was I on empty petrol wise, I was dangerously close to coming to a complete standstill if I didn’t get to a petrol pump as soon as possible. Now, I usually listen to the radio when driving, but for some reason I hadn’t turned it on that day. But, if I had, I would have known that after an announcement from high above, we, the British Nation, had been told that there definitely no shortage of petrol and there for we shouldn’t panic buy. Sorry! Did someone say panic buy? Because that was what I met as I queued to get on to the forecourt. I know that we Brits love to queue, but this took it to a whole new level. How could this have happened? Weren’t we just told not to panic buy? 

         So I waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, it was my turn to fill up. Well. Put £20 in, because that was the extent of my bank balance at the time. And it was then that I was confronted by an angry fellow car user. He walked up to me and yelled, right into my face, ‘you f…king parasite!’ Hold on. What had I done? All I was doing was trying to make it in time to my next job. He continued yelling at all the others car owners before walking off, yelling as he went. Needless to say, I have thought about his words all weekend. Was I really a parasite? Was the petrol shortage really all my fault and the fault of all car users? Or am I just a casualty of the reckless words from a thoughtless government? Telling a nation not to panic buy, will clearly and obviously cause panic buying. Remember the whole toilet roll saga. A few people stocking up. Then fights. Then panic buying. Then not a loo roll in sight. Is that what is happening to our petrol? With that we at least had options on using an alternative. But what happens if we really do run out of petrol? Two of my jobs rely on my having a car to transport vulnerable shielding people. What happens to them if I am unable to put another £20 in? In the short term I can use public transport. But what happens when we all have to do that. Our busses are packed as it is. Trains are already full. Add a ton more people, some of whom don’t wear their masks anymore, and then what will happen. I dread to think.

            Today I had turned on the radio to my favourite leading Britain’s conversation station, and all anyone can talk about is the petrol shortage. As I drove, I passed petrol station after petrol station, all with their pumps covered up. Hand made signs declaring ‘No Fuel!’ And I have to admit that a small drop of panic dropped into my stomach. But for now, I still had a few more miles before the inevitable happens. On the radio an angry caller was berating the host for reporting the shortage in the news. As it was the fault of the media that we had a problem in the first place. But reporting the problem doesn’t cause it. Mismanagement and bad handling of those in power causes it. But loudly declaring that we shouldn’t panic, causes it. 

      Could this have been prevented? Should we all join the panic and drive around trying to find petrol. I don’t know. I don’t have a clue how we are supposed to fix this damage. But I do know that having patience and tolerance for others. That man, through frustration and panic yelled at me. Not because he thought I was the problem, but because he wanted to stop the panic. Lets all do that. Stop the panic. But maybe, just maybe, lets not trust those in power when the speak lies and panic.