I talk. A lot. I mean a WHOLE lot. I firmly blame my mother for it. She would encourage me to tell her stories as a small, small child when my dad and sister were busy at school or work and respond, “Oh Laura, that’s so interesting. Tell me more.” I’d then babble on about God knows what … Barbies, the latest episode of Sesame Street, why the sky is blue … I’m honestly not sure what a 4-year-old has to say of interest. But, I was CONVINCED I must be because my mom said so!
So, as you can imagine as time passed how shocked I was that talking a lot was probably not always the best way to go. Teachers would comment on it on my report cards, I would annoy other people who CLEARLY did not find me as interesting as good old mum, and often I would reveal far too much because once my yap trap started going it became difficult to stop the flow.
Growing up is hard. Quite hard. But, necessary.
Communication is an interesting thing. We all often view it as a one way street. I talk, you listen. But, one of the most important lessons I learned over time is often it is best to sit back and listen. Really listen. Every cell in your body will want to interject (especially if you are as loquacious as I am), but it’s often a fool’s game to interject. People never lead with who they really are. Not in friendships, not in relationships and not in conversations. They come at you with their elevator speech, the best version of themselves, the story they tell others and even themselves.
The truth always lies somewhere downstream.
I loathe cancel culture, whatever that God-forsaken term even means now. But, I also despise censorship and hypocrisy. It may shock many to know that I don’t think Whoopi Goldberg should have been suspended for her self-centered, profoundly idiotic, egocentric comment about the Holocaust and race. Let the lunatic talk.
Another amazing piece advice my mother gave me was to, “let them be them”. I have had many haters over my life. Whether it be going through a divorce and an ex not exactly being a fan of mine or petty women spreading gossip; I’ve been a target like I assume many have of loose talk or actions. And, again, every cell in your body screams to run to correct a lie or protect yourself from untrue or unkind words.
During those times, my mother would say, “let them be them. The truth always comes out.” I hated that advice. It went against all the fighter in me. Until you learn, it takes more strength to be silent.
Let Whoopi, BE Whoopi.
Let her run her mouth and expose just how ridiculous her “VIEW” is. Respond by turning the show off and never even letting your television accidentally play it. They live off of controversy that drives ratings, that drives commercial sales, that pays for their bloated salaries to spew garbage. We have all the control. We are just tricked into believing we don’t.
Just as I defended Joe Rogan’s right to speak, I defend Whoopi’s. Freedom of Speech needs to become equally applied across the board. Once censorship begins and is allowed, it then comes down to whomever is in power controls the voice. They don’t deserve that power. WE DO. We also remove from people the ability to really see into the characters and thoughts of the people they think they admire. Let people like Whoopi keep yammering their absurdity on until they reveal their true character. Canceling them or censoring them just makes them learn the right things to say … but NOT the right way to think.
Growing up is hard. But, necessary.
And, growing up right now and forever should have entailed these lessons:
- Know when to talk and when to shut up.
- Let people talk enough to reveal who they are.
- If you don’t agree with someone, TURN THEM OFF.
- Let assholes like Whoopi, BE Whoopi and respond with a click of a remote.
It’s that simple.
Growing up is HARD. But, dear God … it’s so necessary right now.
Pretty Political 