Wait, wait, don't tell me.

I recently figured something out about slights. Even though flashpoint anger might feel right, even righteous, in a fraught moment, almost invariably it lands badly, causing lasting damage. And oy, the guilt.

You can sit with any negative feeling, from hurt to shame to rage. Though it feels like it, it’s not actually burning a hole in your gut. After it cools, examine it, consider it from all angles, and deal with it.   

It’s mind-blowing for me, who has long considered reflexive ingenuous transparency a commendable character trait. Now, I’ve begun restraint training with the hope that maybe, at 68, I’ll finally outgrow my toddler phase.