- “except those who never limit themselves...”
Not about political issue, so if you have wandered here expecting political debates, I do apologies for misleading. That's the freedom of speech “in action” for you - I can say whatever I pleased and if there would be no listeners - that's doesn't bother me at all, as all I want - to be free to say.
We speak. Words we allow out into the air are constrained. Culture, Morale, Shyness or Cautious form the boundaries. Some are too tight, others – fairy transparent…
Words have so much power. Apart from bearing knowledge words can also mould, bring the best and bring the worst in us. Words can give hope, change life or break heart. That’s why one is always careful in use. It is easy to let the birds out of the cage. In despair watch them flying high above in helpless attempt to catch the meaning. "Do you really need to know?"
I envy those who can let their birdies out without restrictions. I too am a chatterer. Few know how hard it is to stop me once I start my talking gig…my problem tho - most of the time I would let my words out without prior thinking. I would say first then – think, what I just said...most of the times...I don’t know what makes me do that. Perhaps, my thoughts, that hastened to get out, to get shared? I speak by emotions rather then by sense. I think, this is not the best way to do it. Occasionally this creates problems. It also confuses my personal limits. To over jump is easy and attractive. But when you first speak then – think, this often ruins the initial purpose of a talk…
I discovered that I also like to listen to the strangers, to someone I never met before. Someone I will never hear again. What people say is not important indeed; it is the aura they create with their words, that fascinates me. I like to build their image based on how they talk - in a small steps, as deep as they can unfold themselves in front of me...
It is easy to listen to those who opened. Today, waiting for our company minibus to take me from town centre to the office, I had a chat with some Mexican hawker, selling hand-made cheap plastic ornaments. It’s been a time nicely spent. I’ve learnt nothing, except of that this man is a happy man. It is so rare nowadays to meet happy people, isn’t it? He talked about his family, we discussed how easy it is to buy a presents for girls, and how difficult – for boys. He talked about his kids and his house. His travel in Europe and even about his love for his woman. He had no limits in talking for as long as somebody’s listening. I admired the simplicity of his involvement into conversation. There he was standing – selling his ornaments, alone in the centre of a big and busy city. And there was I – a stranger, passing by his cart, stopped for a split second…Our conversation was significantly meaningless…
And I left him later, wondering about why some people can just open their mouth and free their words so naturally and why others bounded by the far-fetched limits? How come that we all so different? And what are we afraid of when we talk?