Sometimes, it’s better not to speak if you don’t have nice things to say. Now, this is a principle I’ve always heard, only it was put “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” There’s a subtle but important difference there, I think. It comes with the “sometimes.” In this overly sensitive and contentious world in which we find ourselves living, “sometimes” should perhaps be more frequently applied. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t a time and place for criticism. And it certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t a need for truth, as much as that commodity seems to be out of fashion these days.

Without criticism, well. The emperor walks around in his all-together, none the wiser to his foolishness. Or her foolishness, as the case may be. And I don’t know about you, but most emperors I’ve seen didn’t need to be walking around naked in public.

With that being said, there are several things that have happened lately in my world—some personal, some professional—that I once upon a time would have remarked upon. I won’t do that now. I understand the cost to speak is higher than what I’m willing to pay.

It isn’t that I don’t have opinions, and strong ones, about these issues. I do. They range from deep hurt to disgust to satisfaction to sorrow. But I don’t plan to talk about them publicly because I’ve learned it’s best to keep my mouth shut in certain circumstances. And let me tell you, that was a lesson learned the hard way.

So I’m zipping my lip today regarding certain things I see. For one thing, nothing I have to say on the matter is relevant – and THAT realization is most assuredly one more people need to have. Secondly, nothing I could say would do a dratted thing to change what’s happened. It might even make the situation worse in some instances. And I’m super thankful that I’ve finally learned to keep my mouth shut, because that’s the last thing I want to happen.

Happy Reading!

T.L.