History

I sat in the small diner and ate my salad by myself before class started.  Two employees, both in their early 20's, were filling little containers of salad dressings about five feet from me.  They were working hard and talking nonstop.  At first, I couldn't figure out what they were talking about because the conversation seemed disjointed.  As I listened closer (yes, I am an eavesdropper), I realized they were studying for a bio test together as they worked.  The young woman stumbled on an answer and the man working along with her said, "Well, that ain't swag."

She stopped, put down her ladle and said," Are you stupid? Do you know what swag means?  Just because JZ says swag doesn't mean that you should use it!  I looked swag up and it means curtain. Choose your own words."

He looked at her and said, "Everyone uses "swag", relax."

"Everyone uses "swag".   Great.  Genius.  We are working on changing our history and you are going to say "swag" as a grown man and expect history to change."

She looked at me, shrugged her shoulders and said, "He doesn't get it." And walked back to the kitchen.

The man stood there, dumbfounded, holding his ladle and said, "She takes it all so seriously."

I looked down at my salad and cursed my nosiness that had led me into being a witness to such an uncomfortable situation. I could think of nothing witty to say to break the tension. Then the man walked back to the kitchen too.

I paid my bill and went to class.

I had two very divergent thoughts as I reflected on the encounter.

1. This woman felt the weight of her history each day and the responsibility to chose each word carefully to change perception and the future. (what an amazing individual, how many of us could carry that load?)

2.  What would the world be like if we all chose to be selective about the words we say?  If each word was written as part of the history?




There are persons of wisdom and deep thought hidden in life's tapestry. Luckie me, I expect to find them and I always do. Luckie me, they will all be included in my history.