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Utica, New York, United States
I am a woman who fought for peoples rights, and now my illness has taken over.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

ANGER the fence story

The old story that I don't know how many times my mother told me.. .

There was a 14 year old boy who said awful nasty things to everyone.  He was angry and took it out on everyone that he met.  One day his father had had enough.. He said every time you say something angry.. I want you to take a hammer and nail and go pound it into the fence.  The kid thought this was completely stupid.. however anger was one thing.. not doing as his father said was another. 

The first day there were 15 nails in that fence.. The second day the same. in fact over the next couple of years there were hundreds of big roofing nails in that fence.  On his 16th birthday he was about sick of nailing nails into that fence.  He said dad.. if I can keep my mouth in check can I please stop.  The father said sort of.  Every time you hold your tongue.. I want you to go take those nails out of that fence.  After a few weeks of doing this.. and putting the used up nails in a bucket hanging on that fence... The boy found it was easier to keep his mouth closed.. and not suffer the ramifications of that fence.  He was a good sport and did it. One day the father called him out to that fence.. and said Lets take the rest of these nails out of this fence together.  So they proceeded to put nail by nail in the bucket.  When it was all said and done.. the father put his arm around the boy and said.. that fence is a mess.  The boy agreed... That was all that was ever said about that fence.. until his 18th birthday... and dad said lets go chat out by the fence...

You are man now... but if you remember nothing else that I have ever told you..

Never forget.. Every nail you put into someone by the mean things you say.. can be taken back..just as we did when we took out those nails..  but the hole that you created although it will get smaller.as you can see they have... . will be there forever and weakened the fence.. and allowed bugs and mold to grow in it.

take a mental picture of those holes... and you will forever hold your tongue like a man should.  NO harm was ever done by listening, but every snide comment, every sarcasm, every mean word.. leaves marks that you cannot see. 

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