Over the weekend my posting about watching the movie "The Princess Bride" sparked a number of comments that ultimately were directed at the tone of this blog more than the content of the posting itself ...
I posted five lines QUOTED directly from the film in a scene I find HILARIOUS ... Wallace Shawn's character Vizzini is about to engage a battle to the death with Westley/Dread Pirate Roberts ... if you've seen the film you'll appreciate what a freakishly funny character Vizzini is with his trademark line "Inconceivable!" applied to every situation - an application Inigio Montoya observes rightly - "I don't think that means what you think it means ..."
My intent was to share a favourite scene from one of my favourite movies ... the outcome ... well, it went to a place I never conceived of it going ...
No matter ... people are entitled to their opinions ... but when they begin to apply labels to me I DO get a little irritated ... and rather than defending myself, instead I will state clearly that I am NOT arrogant ... I am not a bully ... I am not self-aggrandizing, nor being self-important ... I write here to reflect on the world and what I see and experience and to toss out ideas for people to think about themselves ...
Being called ARROGANT though DOES bug me - A LOT !!
Today I looked up what arrogant/arrogance means and realized that it simply doesn't apply ...
Main Entry:
ar·ro·gance
Pronunciation: \ˈer-ə-gən(t)s, ˈa-rə-\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions
ar·ro·gance
Pronunciation: \ˈer-ə-gən(t)s, ˈa-rə-\
Function: noun
Date: 14th century
: an attitude of superiority manifested in an overbearing manner or in presumptuous claims or assumptions
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Main Entry:
ar·ro·gant
Pronunciation: \-gənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin arrogant-, arrogans, present participle of arrogare
Date: 14th century
1 : exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner
ar·ro·gant
Pronunciation: \-gənt\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin arrogant-, arrogans, present participle of arrogare
Date: 14th century
1 : exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one's own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner
2 : proceeding from or characterized by arrogance
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Arrogance ??
Arrogant ???
Am I ???
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I think not. And if that is to be regarded as arrogance - so be it ... maybe Jesus had a point when he said - "judge not lest ye be judged," and when he challenged us to "walk a mile in another's shoes". I will not apologize for being intelligent, well read, and outspoken ... if in the eyes of others this is arrogance, the problem is in thee, not in me ...
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I remain who I am ... I speak my mind ... I connect dots ... I ask questions ... I challenge the status quo ... I dare to speak when everyone else chooses to remain silent ... I rock the boat ... I use melodrama to prove a point ... I'm not afraid of standing up and speaking out ... and MOST OF ALL I use the gifts I've been blessed with in an attempt to move us from where we ARE to where we could be if we dared to dream and risk ...
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My words here, my thoughts, even my actions in life are not about exaggerating my worth or my sense of self ... they are simply what they are ... I KNOW I ruffle feathers ... I KNOW I stir the pot ... I KNOW I have an extremely high IQ and I intimidate people unintentionally and many times without even realizing it ... I KNOW a lot about myself, and I do not move through life with an air of arrogance nor entitlement ... I simply move through life being ME ...
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The interpretation of ARROGANCE is one that far too easy to lob, particularly when fear is involved ... my words are at times sharp ... I'll own that without apology ... sometimes what is needed is a sharp rebuke, particularly from someone who is called, trained and sent out into the world to be in ministry ... leadership is not about warm pink fuzzies and comforting the comfortable ... leadership, particularly in the Church is about comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable and sharing the Kingdom of God in word and deed ... Leadership is about courage, certainty and a vision that moves us from complacency and comfort to a place of radical inclusion for ALL PEOPLE, not just the chosen few ...
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I'm proud of my abilities and gifts ... I will not be ashamed of being who I am ... and THAT'S not arrogance ... it's just using what God has given me and being proud of being ME !!!
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Sadly, that scares a lot of people, and moves them to a place of calling me a bully and accusing me of arrogance and so on ... I can own my piece in this - but NOT theirs ...
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Call me arrogant if you like ... but that just tells me you haven't taken the time to know ME ... and that is perhaps the saddest thing of all ... but then, that IS the whole point of Jesus' words when he said - "how can you pick the speck out of your brother's eye with a log in your own?" ... He knew that it is easier to point the finger of blame and accusation at someone else so that we can divert attention from our own personal insecurities and fears ... Like my Grandfather used to counsel us - "remember when you point a finger at someone else, there are THREE fingers pointing back at you with the SAME accusation ..."
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Call me arrogant if you like ... but that just tells me you haven't taken the time to know ME ... and that is perhaps the saddest thing of all ... but then, that IS the whole point of Jesus' words when he said - "how can you pick the speck out of your brother's eye with a log in your own?" ... He knew that it is easier to point the finger of blame and accusation at someone else so that we can divert attention from our own personal insecurities and fears ... Like my Grandfather used to counsel us - "remember when you point a finger at someone else, there are THREE fingers pointing back at you with the SAME accusation ..."
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Smart man that guy ... I point no fingers here ... just ask the question to those who would point their fingers at me in accusation: "WHAT are you REALLY AFRAID OF ??? What has REALLY OFFENDED you??"
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Looking inwardly is never easy ... but it is worth it ...
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1 comment:
I have found that most people prefer to look outwardly and find fault in others because it is way to hard to look inwardly and realize that what you see on any given day is not who you expected to be.
I like looking inward. It gives me the right to look at myself critically and say... I like that about me...and I don't like that about me; and in the end, I have a choice, change what I don't like and/or accentuate what I do like.
Shawn, one of the things I like about me is that I am honest to a fault. If you ask me a question, I always respone by saying, "Do you really want to know what I think or do you think you want to know because you think I'll agree with you. I don't always agree, but I will always give you an honest answer if you truly want it.
Here is the thing that I've realized and what writing helps me with. Writing allows me to release the negative or positive energy through my thoughts. It allows me to clear my mind to move on to other things. Mostly, it allows me to get out into the open what I feel AT THAT TIME, not necessarily the way I'll feel tomorrow or the way I felt yesterday.
Life is dynamic. It is ever changing; and we must adapt. When we adapt; however, it is our inner being that we have to be at peace with or our dealings with all those that we meet will cause some strife.
Please, don't think that I'm Pollyanna and I have these rose colored glasses that I look through. I've lived through things that I didn't want to live through. I've lived through people hating someone I loved because she has a different lifestyle than the norm. The gossip will and has abound in the small city in which I live. But you know what Shawn, I'd still rather live through the trials and tribulations of my life, and the inherint inner morality and love that this person I love deeply possesses, then live a life that is filled with hatred, dissention and pregidice.
Pregidice comes in all shapes...even religious ones. : )
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