Insensitive

​Today I received a call from a friend, asking me if I had time to talk. Since it was lunchtime, I complied. She complained how her husband was insensitive. When they argue, words just fly out of his mouth. They were hurtful and malicious. Then he turns around and apologizes. What he doesn’t understand was that his words hurt. Once they were heard, they made their way piercing into her heart. Neurons and fibers have been fired and torn. Anger awaits.

My younger sister used to just yell at me with only half a story told by a fourth party. When she gets the whole story, she would apologize. I don’t know how many times I told her words could sting. But she seems to believe that an apology was good enough. Sometimes it is not.

Decades ago, a boy broke my heart. The next day, he was at a game with another girl. Need I say more? Jerk, perhaps?

When you hurt someone with words, it’s hard to take it back with just a, “I’m sorry”. It doesn’t cut it. When you break someone’s heart, your immediate apology sounds insincere. When you break up with someone, please don’t display your happiness on social media the next day. It is insensitive. Don’t advertise your quick “recovery”. No one needs to see it. Be more sensitive to the one you hurt. Karma’s a female dog. Don’t let it bite you on the butt. Be considerate and think about the person you just hurt. Don’t be a pinhole, even with accidental inclusions. Throwing it in someone’s face is unkind. Words are powerful, spiked with good or bad intentions. Be more thoughtful of how you say things and not just what was said. It is unnecessary to be ruthless. Actions speak louder than words. But as Alexander Pope said, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” Eat that!

From your “Sweet lil’ ol’ me.”