OH - MY - DAYS. This is probably one of the hardest things in my life that I find myself having to do on a frequent basis. Whether it be at work; "how are you today?" (com'on now, you really don't business about what's going on in my life), with your mum; "now, I won't tell you I told you so..." ("too late, genius!") or a personal favourite of mine; "babes, I was thinking we should ..." ("I swear I suggested the same thing weeks ago!!")
Now, I'm the kind of person that becomes extremely irritable during those moments I'm having to bite my tongue and the joke is that most times I'm having to do so literally. Most times, you try and act out a certain scenario in your mind to it's entirety and realising that it won't bode well to let your mouth run with the wind you do everything in your power to abstain. But then there are times when my teeth falter and my tongue runs riot and ends up giving the subject a regrettable lashing!!
There are many, many examples of this predicament in previous posts on this blog and I'm finding that the older I get, the more I find myself doing it for peace's sake. For example, it really does nark me when someone asks for your opinion, only to have already decided that they weren't going to listen anyways but what do you do? You . . .
Bite your tongue!
Since we spend most of our lives at work, many unrighteous incidents are 'allowed' as it would seem unsavoury or confrontational to react in the manner we would do outside of work walls. We witness a set of rules for us and another for the rest but what can you do - we have to put up with t (to a certain extent) because we want that cheque, so you . . .
Bite your tongue!
Being an elder of the family, some aunties/uncles/parents seem to believe that no matter how old we are, or experiences we've gone through ourselves, they always know best and have the answer. The worst ones for me is when this is done publicly and in front of other family members. Swearing blind she gave a CD to me at a fundraising event, my mother was relentless at telling me to unpack a whole heap of boxes as I must have misplaced it, because she knows she doesn't have it. She was so convincing she go me doubting my own memory and the other aunts/uncles/relatives almost scolding me for not wanting to aimlessly look for it. Needless to say, IT WAS IN HER BAG the WHOLE TIME!! But up until then, no one would have it because she said so. So what was I to do other than . . .
BITE YOUR TONGUE!! (and man, was that hard!)
Now I'm sure I'm not the only one who has to contend with this on what seems like a daily basis. Everyone at some point has some real trouble holding their tongue but not for want of trying, it sometimes proves impossible. How much can you withstand? Or do you let your tongue rip regardless of the consequences (if so, I envy you!)
