BEATING AROUND THE BUSH

By Vernalee

Why are you beating around the bush?

People tend to 'beat about the bush' when trying to avoid talking about an embarrassing or difficult topic. It can be very uncomfortable. “I get it,” but is it the best thing to do? It’s a sticky subject. Therefore, we skirt around the issue and talk about everything but the topic at hand. Of course, it’s not desirable to hurt anyone’s feeling which is the main reason that we play this game of avoidance in the first place. Who wants to bruise or injure someone’s feelings? Not me!

(I’m still trying to wrap my arms around my sensitivity about hurting people’s feelings, because it’s not a reciprocal act. There are some folks who don’t care about mine’s! Oh well!) Anyway, I am of the belief that most people don’t take pleasure in hurting someone’s feelings. It can be painful.

Eventually, what’s in the dark comes to light. The cream just like the truth always rises to the top. Sometimes playing the avoidance game doesn’t work. Admittedly, it‘s a razor thin line. We may end up hurting the person more when we don’t come clean with the truth. Finding diplomatic avenues and the right words may be the best route. Their path of improvement and correction can be achieved faster with our honesty vs. our beating around the bush by concealing the truths.  Easy said, hard to do! Sometimes, we have no choice ... when the bush eventually sheds its leaves! Photo credit: www.englishunite.com