There is no honor among thieves

I have many bad habits, not the least of which is my ability to say really cruel things in a clever way. One of my super powers is the uncanny ability to link a person to something from popular culture that they resemble or to morph the phonemes in their name into something insulting.

I try my hardest to keep these gems of wit locked inside my tiny brain but every once in a while, I am struck with a bout of verbal diarrhea and it all comes rushing out and into the ears of someone I hope that I can trust. This gets me into trouble because I either: pick someone I cannot trust to share with or people who are aware of this weakness are at liberty to say, “you know what Chris said about you?” Anything they tell you will be widely believed because it is usually believable of me. My response is usually, “well, you thought it was funny when I said it about someone else: didn’t you?”

This became an issue this week because one of my friends has a roommate that they like, adore even, but on occasion gets on their nerves. I am in contact with both roommates on a weekly basis for one reason or the other so I knew enough to come up with a nickname for the one roommate and spilled it to the other because I was stupid and I thought the person would not repeat it.

I tend not to repeat the nasty things people say to me about others because I feel it is rude to everyone involved and demeaning to yourself as a person. I think that if the person is spreading confidentialities then you should definitely share that but if someone tells you in confidence, “I think Chris is fat,” there is really no reason to repeat it. Why skewer another person’s relationship and hurt people without cause?

I had a half a mind to repeat to that person everything the person who told on me had said about them, and anyone, because she can be exceedingly cruel herself. I realize that just makes things worse.

I know at this point that I really should not say that I think someone looks like an Oompa Loompa or that their life is too ridiculous for reality television but we all make mistakes. I think that in making mistakes we want people who are there for us when we make the mistake and are supportive of us, not people who will kick us when we are down.

Of course part of my feelings are Clintonian – I am embarssed to have been caught and called out – but there is also the genuine emotion of feeling sorry that I hurt someone’s feelings. Sometimes my cleverness is a curse and too often other people have to pay the price for my sharp tongue.

Comments

[Kellbelle]

Ehhhh you're human, as much as you would like to think otherwise. ;)

[Terri]

Teehee. You said, "Clintonian". Your clever wit makes you so easy to forgive for any transgression.

[Margaret]

I too have let my caustic and sometimes very funny tongue run away with me at times. We can't help ourselves sometimes. However, I am like you--I don't ever want to hurt anyone's feelings.