The Scarlett Letter embroidered on the bib of a Southern Lady . . .
Maybe it’s a generational thing.
Maybe those of us born before the Beatles landed or Woodstock or Vietnam still have our mother’s voice whirring in our head. Just to set the record straight, I was only seven months old when the Beatles appeared on Ed Sullivan.
Those of us at the tippy end of the Boomer Generation hear . . .”Don’t make waves.”
“For heavens sake Jamie, have coffees for your friends not fundraisers for Free Crimea.”
No. There’s not much screaming about passions around here. At least that I’d let on.
So this Finish the Sentence Friday prompt: “What I really want to scream out loud is…”
Presents a bit of a poser for me.
For most things I want to SCREAM out loud, I squish down deep in a itty, bitty ball.
And then go slog through 5 miles.
But appearances aside, I’m a gaming sort, so here goes.
What I really want to scream out loud is . . . .
My safe “Have coffees and not fundraisers for Greenpeace” answers:
“Is it too much to ask for ya’ll to put down the toilet seat?!”
“Could somebody PLEASE walk the dog, he’s standing crossed legged by the door.”
“Why on earth do ya’ll keep putting food incrusted dishes on the non-disposal side of the sink?”
Yes. It’s better to play it safe. By being diplomatic, you never run with risk of being misunderstood. Being thought a b*tch. Or heaven forbid in the South, The Scarlett Letter embroidered on the bib of a Southern Lady who spoke without thought of repercussion
~ being thought unChristian.
What I want to shout is . . .
I WANT TO SCREAM and not worry about the wreckage it might cause.
But I’ll leave that for another day.
Or as Emily Litella most eloquently used to say,
“Never mind.”
What say you?
What do you want to scream?
Love this….I’m of the same generation, so I understand EXACTLY where you’re coming from. But I was brave in my post today and talked about something controversial! 🙂
Yay Teresa. Sometimes just speaking our minds is courageous. What does that imply?
Trust me I too was taught not makes waves and try not to get upset whenever possible, but I am starting to realize that sometimes you do need to speak up and voice stuff, especially if it is upsetting you. But yes I can relate and have had moments where I question it in my own head, too.
Honestly Janine, I think it’s a woman issue. Not just a Southern Lady one. Though it is certainly more pronounced in the South. I am all about speaking our mind with respect. But why is that so hard?
Ooh, I love this. You captured that so well. Some of us who were raised by Boomers can probably relate, too- it’s a powerful thing.
I guess most women over adolescence can relate to holding things in.
Oh but I find it ever so hard not to shout – especially when I’m with someone who is paying absolutely no attention to what I am saying. Inside my head I am shouting though.
YES!!! Can I choose my scream out loud thing to say I don’t really want to scream at all? And had to ask for other people’s opinions to merely participate as a host because I had nothing?
I love this.
I know some people who scream whatever they want without worrying at all about the wreckage they may cause. It may be freeing for them, but it can be as damaging as holding everything in. There’s a happy medium somewhere – I just haven’t found it yet.
that is exactly the problem we don’t want to hurt others in the process so I find writing it then burning it helps a lot! Thank you Jamie loved this as always!
YES! YES! YES! I’m screaming here because, well, I don’t do it out loud, either. Not screaming can be exhausting!! But I did enjoy the cross-legged dog visual. Hilarious!
WOOOHOOO and YES YES YES YES YES… I say what I have to say, sometimes I make it more assertive than snarky, but I say it. Though there are other times, saying it to an idiot or know-it-all is not worth it. I pick my battles and do what I want.
Yes. Writing is good Barabara. That is what is so hard about memoir writing — you don’t know how it will affect people.