Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Just Leave It Alone

A man with two black eyes came to visit his friend. The friend was startled by the sight and asked him, “What happened to you? How'd you get those black eyes?” The man answered, “Well, I was sitting in a church service when the music director stepped to the podium and asked everyone to stand. As I stood, I noticed that the woman in front of me had her dress caught in the crack of her behind, so not wanting her to be embarrassed, I gently pulled it out. When I did, she turned around and slugged me and gave me a black eye.” The friend said, “So how did you get the other black eye?” The the man answered, “I put her dress back”.

Some things, and the writer does mean “some things”, are better left alone. There are events and occasions when a person wants to speak up, however, wisdom pleads, “This is a place where it would be best not to get involved.” Most know these quandary kind of events such as: when a person has toilet paper dragging from the back of their pants as they exit the bathroom; someone in an elevator breaks wind; a woman comes back from lunch with her dress inside out; there is black pepper or broccoli in between the teeth; and that inevitable hardened mucus ball hanging from someone's nose. These as well as many others are those tennis match like mental gymnastics that ask, “Should I say something or should I not? Do I get involved or do I just let them go about their business?”

One older man named Emory celebrating his ninety second year on earth was asked, “What is the secret to living so long?” His reply? “Mind your own business.” Maybe the writer and reader would do well to take heed to this older man's wisdom and employ the idea of studied non-observance when those black eye situations arise, but then again, there is always ice packs. Until tomorrow...Why Say More?

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