By JANET HART LEONARD
From the Hart
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines communicate as: “to get someone to understand your thoughts or feelings.”
Google defines communicate as: “to share or exchange information, news or ideas.”
If ever there was a time that we need more communication … it is now. Not just information but understanding. Not foot stomps and finger pointing, but communication sprinkled with Grace.
Grace: “a controlled, polite and pleasant way of behaving,” according to Merriam-Webster.
My opinions do not reflect the opinions of all my friends. We can still share a friendship.
A true friendship can involve two people who disagree on many points, but their hearts know no animosity. Their hearts know Grace.
My opinions come from my history, my upbringing, my age, my gender, what I’ve been through, how something has been explained to me, how I see people that will be affected, my research, my enneagram number, and a plethora of other things, but my mind is too tired to think of more.
Truth is, I have had a week where my mind is exhausted. I stated my opinion on social media. I did my research to the best of my ability.
Count the seconds.
10…9…8…7…6
A friend disagreed.
5…4…3…2…1
A friend disagreed.
Not one harsh word from them. Not one harsh word from me.
We simply chose to disagree agreeably.
At the end of the conversation … we were still friends.
It made me think.
While other friends agreed with me, I wanted those who did not to understand I still considered them my friends.
We live in a day and age where so many friendships are being broken, or at least damaged, by social media. Lines are drawn. Aisles are blocked. Dead horses are beaten. When the horse is dead, it’s time to dismount.
Have we lost the ability to disagree agreeably? Have we failed to offer grace to those who disagree with us? Have we placed a stake in the ground, with our opinion attached, and just dare anyone to mess with our stake or our opinion? Have we become a people who MUST be right and sadly fail to see the possibility of ever being wrong?
Are we reading only what we want the research to tell us? Are we even open to reading anything that would tend to go against our opinion?
Is anyone really listening? Are we shouting our opinions so loud that no one can hear us? Is our anger shutting the door to real communication?
I hate the anger I sense on social media. I hate the arguing. I hate what all this is doing to us as a people. I hate what our children are seeing and hearing. Remember them? The children?
I don’t have answers. I just have opinions. And yes, I have wonderful friends who love me in spite of our differing opinions. I love them right back.
I just have to wonder what Merriam or Webster would be thinking today.