Unearthed Jewel No.4…Grey

Do you ever get tired of the façade of life? Maybe you are a professional and know you must always give the “correct answer” despite having years of experience (insert eye role Emoji). Maybe you have family or friends whom you can never really share your political or religious beliefs to with out some kind of backlash, guilt trip, or heaven forbid… lecture! Do you tiptoe around your spouse? Do you keep that red dress in the back of your closet that your mom said was not flattering but you feel great wearing? Is there a spoiled sibling your whole family must always placate to? Can your boss say anything he or she wants to say to you without your honest response (cue the laughter)? Maybe you have a family member who tells obvious fibs that you must pretend to believe to keep family dinners intact. Does it bother you that you must let them think you believe them? The answer is a big fat YES! Yes, to all of these and any other possible scenario that could be thought up over decades of time. Time that none of us can waste to ponder over. Nor is there enough imagination in the world that could dream up every possible human layout. Looking at two different types of people in the world is interesting. Those whom say their truth. Others who say what they know will “keep peace.” Some might describe the two types as overbearing vs passive, aggressive vs kind, stubborn vs pushover. Can the world exist without both? You know what I’m talking about! Does it seems like some people hit things head on while other pass the buck? There are always two sides of a cake. One with frosting and one without. Either side of the cake has benefits. One comes with less calories and one comes with better taste. One must believe that those who can’t keep from vomiting their perceived truth must know when they have gone too far. Must realize when they have offended their best friend who doesn’t speak to them for a month after blurting out and speculating their new found boyfriend is probably a cheater, or their apartment smells like a dog. It is certain the extreme truth tellers probably roll their eyes when some try to maintain peace and say the obvious quote–unquote “right answer.” Both can be equally nauseating. People are not always ready for the truth. At times, individuals needs to come to a truth on their own. In contrast, sometimes being told the truth is the very thing that is needed to help one grow. Truth can be a powerful fertilizer. A loved one doesn’t always need to know the details of how their loved one died. However, a parent does deserve to be enlightened when they are having a negative effect on their child’s mental health. There are millions of possible situations. Grey is often a classic choice for a suit or basic house color. It is considered a neutral, safe, and professional. An appropriate color for almost every event thinkable. Even this color has variations. A combination of black and white. The truth teller and the peace keeper are both needed. Each does not always get it right every time. Could we dress our innate or learned behavior in a grey suit for some occasions? What if the “peace makers” traded their perfectly white suit for a grey one? One with a little more color that pushed against boundaries and could handle some truth stains. Just said what needed to be said for the love of everything holy! Say the thing that is clearly seen. Let the chips fall where they may. What if the ” extreme truth teller” traded the darker color for a softer tone? A pause, wait just a minute to give someone the autonomy to figure things out for themselves? Could feeling it down the road be more impactful than just hearing it? The Bible says, “Blessed are the peacekeepers.” This can be explored in two different ways. Sometimes one must go to war to keep peace. On the other hand, must every battle be fought? Both responses can be accurate given the situation. Maybe the answer is in the grey. There are times to pull out the grey suit. Knowing that black and white are always needed to make the perfect color. Knowing both colors are always necessary.