Speak, and Ye Shall Find

I’ve always been opinionated. Verily, if there is some topic to which I cannot offer my perspective, I’ve yet to find it. As I get older, though, I’m finding it more and more difficult to abstain from offering it forthrightly. In other words, if it’s something really important to me, I can’t keep myself from speaking on it. I don’t know if this means I’ve become an ardent defender of what I consider the truth, or that I simply cannot control my tongue to any appreciable degree.
The former seems more likely, as there are often times where I don’t speak on an issue. Still, if I am quiet, it’s because I’m either still gathering data, or I feel that it’s not something worth commenting upon. I do feel there’s a difference between being opinionated, and being a chatty Cathy. I don’t override other people’s opinions, for one, and I don’t step in where I’m not welcome unless I feel it is truly something upon which I must speak; say, for example, if I knew someone was innocent in a situation that didn’t affect me directly. In such a scenario, of course I’ll speak up, as I consider myself a defender of the innocent.
See? That’s something else, too. These perceptions I have of myself seem like I’m a conceited, self-aggrandizing legend in my own mind. I promise you I’m not, but the ideas I have are so BIG that I can’t possibly explain them in any way other than larger than life terms. Sometimes we need to speak in larger than life terminology, or our experiences succumb to the mundane.
I’m hoping this will lead me somewhere positive and uplifting, but I often find myself speaking out against the worst humanity has to offer. I guess that makes me an interloper to some, a busy-body to others, and some kind of self-righteous moral crusader to everyone else. For what it’s worth, I do stand by my statements, so if I say something and you call me on it, I will stand by those words. Oh, I’ll defend them vociferously, but if you prove to me that I’ve made a mistake, I will admit it. Believe me, foot-in-mouth disease can afflict anyone, regardless of intellect, wit, or education. We’re all subject to the whims of ignorance.
So if I say something to you that seems offensive, tell me. Sometimes I don’t see the lines that people draw around themselves. I’m not trying to be oblivious; it just comes naturally at times. Believe me, you’ll always get the benefit of the doubt when it’s your turn, which is a matter of “when” and not “if.” 😉
Well, that’s all I want to say for now. See you next time!
-.Amaris