A Booktrovert's Confession
Words make a world of difference
Dear Reader,
Some days feel like magic; other days feel tragic.
Is it just me or do you go through similar phases too?
In Gail Honeyman’s outstandingly humourous book, “Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine’, there’s a dialogue that left me utterly devastated. It rings close to savage cruelty.
“Oh wait, Mummy - You said there are two things - what was the second you were thinking about?”
“Oh yes,” she said, “It was just that I wanted to tell you that you’re a pointless waste of human tissue. That was all. Bye then, darling!” she said, bright as a knife.
One of the many reasons I am a booktrovert is simply this: people’s behaviour!
People say and do things they shouldn’t; even the most rational ones can be most insensitive to their loved ones.
Double talk, fake concern, zero empathy.
And a complete lack of courage and conviction to take responsible decisions.
Words make a world of difference.
As my Guru always taught us, “Even if you cannot oblige, speak obligingly. Always speak softly and gently.”
As someone in my close knit world battles for life, a war of words is all we have left.
And wounds that will take a long, long time to heal.
Till then, prayers are all we have as we dream of an impossible miracle.
Eleanor is one of my favorite protagonists!
Recently on the podcast Being Well, psychologist Rick Hansen had a nice turn of phrase when he spoke of people communicating “unskillfully.” I liked this. It neutralized what can feel so crummy when others aren’t careful with their communication.