There is a Yiddish proverb that says, "A half-truth is a whole lie." It is not my intent to engage you in a mental gymnastic concerning the truth or untruth of this proverb. The reason I am here talking about the truth tonight is that I am a firm believer that straight-talk-truth has its place and it has its "non-place" too. It is also my personal firm belief that silence is the most effective way to combat the ill effects of ill-placed, ill-timed straight talk truth. It is more difficult to remain silent when confronted by this kind of attack, but I think it is necessary. Lately, people in our local church community have been wounded by outright calumny (lies), contumely (viciously harsh truth about a person) and a big dose of half truths. This time, I and the Voice from the Kitchen are on the sidelines looking in. We have had our turn on the inside and it is not pleasant. Over time, we have come to know that we are still fodder for the gossip "column" but have generally lost our place as headliners. It is a result of growing older. It is also a result of being able to point at a garden full of fruit that did not exist BVoK. I'll let you figure that one out. The clues are all over the place.
Many times I have shocked people by my straightforward statements. When it is time for someone to move on, I say it. Move on. I don't beat around the bush and say things like, "You know, your talents haven't been used to the degree that they could be." Why would I say that? If that is anywhere near the truth, am I not the one who should have brought those talents to the fore? How stupid can you get? You tell the person whom you are discharging that talents have gone to waste and blaming him/her for it. You're to blame, Bozo! If you know that I have talents that could be more valuable to you than they have been, why are you sending me down the road? Does this sound strange to you? It is strange. I once had a vice-president of a very prestigious Colorado corporation tell me precisely that. When I made the point that she was sending me away to cure her own incompetence, she really got into a huff. I didn't care, I had another job to go to anyway. As far as I know, she still has her job. That's because she didn't work for me. :-)
Just lately, I have been expecting a proposed helper/volunteer to contact me. I have emailed, provided my telephone number, talked to the executive in charge and all I have in return in silence. So last night I sent then both an email saying, in essence, "Patience, hell, I'm going out an' kill me somethin'!" 30 hours later, you guessed it, silence. Yiddish proverbs to the contrary, I have a couple proverbs that I am instituting right now as the latest fundamental truths about life.
1. "Anonymity is the biggest enemy of progress."
2. "Silence is the biggest lie."
As you can see, I am a great admirer of Moliere's ultrabiliary lover, Alceste, otherwise known as "Le Misanthrope."
Think about that.
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