Editor’s Corner: Think Before You Talk

The great poet Adrienne Rich once said, “I believe that words can help us move or keep us paralyzed, and that our choices of language and verbal tone have something - a great deal - to do with how we live our lives and whom we end up speaking with and hearing; and that we can deflect words, by trivialization, of course, but also by ritualized respect, or we can let them enter our souls and mix with the juices of our minds.”

Or in plain English, our tongue can get us in trouble and ultimately change the course of our lives. My dad used to ask me, “Don’t you ever think before you talk?” I used to just smile, and ask, “What’s the point?” You see, I knew I was going to voice my opinion, whether I thought about it first for not. However, as the years pass, I’m beginning to understand the wisdom of my father’s advice. Sometimes it’s just plain better to keep your mouth shut.

African American author Bell Hooks once said, “Being oppressed means the absence of choices.” Now, this is a different matter altogether. I am not advocating we allow the world to stomp on our spirit to the point where we feel wise choices are no longer in our power. I’m simply stating that my dad was right, “you should think before you talk.”

The words that come out of our mouths reflect our true nature and shape the path of our life. And more often than not, words spoken in the heat of the moment can not be retreated. You may be forgiven. However, the ability to forget is often much harder. Wouldn’t it just be easier if we just kept our trap shut?

Now, I fully admit to never being one who could keep her opinion to herself. It’s important we stand up for the things we believe in. The only way to change our own corner of the world is to be brave enough to grab life by the horns. And yes, sometimes we get burned. That’s just the chance we have to take.

French biologist Jean Rostand once said, “Far too often the choices reality proposes are such as to take away one’s taste for choosing.” But we can’t give up. Life is full of choices and we all make the wrong ones at one time or another. That’s where your true character comes in. When you make the wrong choice, do you learn how to adjust or do you become bitter?

When you open your mouth to speak, what are you saying to others? Are you showing your true character by providing glimpses of your soul? Or are you just speaking off the top of your head and getting yourself into big trouble?

We all have a voice and it’s being heard. What is yours saying? Are you thinking before you talk or are you spending your life with the regrets? Of course, we all open our mouth when we shouldn’t, but we should not make a habit of it. Use your voice to uplift and to make a difference in your own world. Don’t sit around crying when you get home at night wishing you had kept your mouth shut. Just “think before you talk.”

Sandra Brand is the editor of the NEA Town Courier and The Osceola Times. She may be reached by phone at 870-763-4461 or 870-563-2615 or by email at brand@osceolatimes.com.