http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber
Once asked to name my favourite
song of all time, I had to confess it has to be ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood,
first recorded by the late, great Nina Simone and then by The Animals whose
lead singer Eric Burden’s turn it was to lift it to inspirational heights.
Why my favourite song? I
am a great fan of both Nina Simone and The Animals, but the song hits me where
it hurts most. The curious thing about hurt is that it can be both awfully
painful and inspirational at the same time. (I suspect
I am not the only one who has lost friends for their having misunderstood our
spoken or written words.)
Rightly or wrongly, I have felt
misunderstood for the greater part of my life. The fact that I have a hearing
problem, left undiagnosed as a form of ‘perceptive deafness’ for years hasn’t
helped, but that is no excuse. Indeed, there are no excuses. On the other hand,
there is room for reparation and reconciliation if the offended party will only
say why they feel offended, thus giving the other person an opportunity to at
least try and clear up any misunderstandings. Too often,
though, this simply doesn’t happen. One could argue that it is down
to anyone who can see they have caused offence to make the first move while, on
the other hand, isn’t the offended person also morally obliged to say why they
have taken offence instead of simply resorting to postures that are no less
offensive if not more so for being deliberate?
Many if not most friends and family
members fall out from time to time, but any friends or family members worth
their salt will engage us in an exchange of views, however heated, which -
more often than not – will clear the air and effect reconciliation. Sadly, many
people see taking offence as a means to ending a relationship which, for
reasons best known (or unknown) to themselves they would prefer to discontinue;
an act of shifting any and all all blame elsewhere that has been a socially
acceptable get-out cause for centuries. Those of us to whom reconciliation is
all-important will know each other well to make sure it happens, albeit
probably after arguing who threw the first stone …
“Drop the people who do not value
you, respect you. Life has infinite horizons. Accept yourself, love yourself,
and move forward.” ― Amit Ray, Peace, Bliss, Beauty and Truth:
Living with Positivity
L-I-F-E,
MISUNDERSTANDINGS AND INFINITE HORIZONS
I rarely mean to
say
how it’s taken
what I mean,
and held against
me
rarely asked to
explain,
try repairing
damage done
(end of
conversation)
Friends all but
strangers,
family members
taking sides,
cue for body
language;
Looks, casting
aspersions
on the best of
my intentions,
no one asking
questions
Hurt feelings on
a chatline
exchanging
gossip and rumour,
(No one any the
wiser);
I, left to mull
(close to tears)
a real
mess-up of a diary filled
with smudges and
smears
Yet, some
entries in my diary
stand out, no
smears or smudges
in sight, only
what’s writ;
not always a
misunderstood
child, teenager
or senior citizen,
for embracing
infinite horizons
Copyright R. N.
Taber, 2020