Random Thoughts About Dentopedology

Random thoughts is one of my favourite ways to think... well actually it is not so much a favourite as it is one of those things that just happens a lot. Here I am working through a bunch of papers on my desk and came across a Courier from September that I pored over to figure why I had saved it. Suddenly off the page jumped a reminder of why I had saved this particular editorial section. There is this random thing I do way too often and joke about it by saying that "I open mouth and insert foot." Well this particular copy from September 10, 2008 had the scientific definition of that syndrome; "Dentopedology is the science of opening your mouth and putting your foot in it. I've been practising it for years."--The Duke of Edinburgh.

So not sure what kind of company that puts me in, I guess it depends on one's point of view on the Duke of Edinburgh. I wish I could also put in the cartoon that is next to it as a construction worker type says; "we need another @#!#*#@# swear box--this one's @#!#*#@# full!!"

But thinking of this reminds me of James as he points out the challenge we have as we face our day to day lives and deal with the whole thought process and the words we use and he makes the case so well that if we can control our tongues we can control the other areas of our lives as well. Our words can be a blessing or a curse. A salve or burning fire. Small compared to our body our tongue is compared to a rudder that steers a ship and so it is with our words as we say things we sometimes have to live up to the words we speak and sometimes if our words are not right they steer us a wrong direction. But if our words are right and true then they can steer us in a good way as well.

There are days that it is a real challenge to bite my tongue both in a negative way but also in a positive way. There are times my human nature gets in the flesh and I want to say something that is not of value and would in the end come out as course and vulgar... the times I don't give in to this are victories in life. But there are other victories that are the times I want so desperately to meddle in the lives of people around me, to say things that while good for them and could possibly make their lives better that I say nothing as I realize that they are not in a place in their lives to appreciate the comment and the intent behind it.

The challenge as well is to know when to actually speak up and help someone's life be better. It is finding that balance between saying the right thing for the right reason at the right time to make a difference and being a busybody...

May God grant the grace to pick which is right at the right time.

Here is to us speaking Godly,

Rev. Jon