Siyag L'chachmah Shtikah- In other words , the way to be wise is to be quiet. I wish the yentas of midwood would take heed. If you want to look smart be quiet. If you want to look like an idiot ..... well just keep talking.
I was hoping that this morning would be just a normal Monday morning where I get up early and do my laundry without being questioned by the yenta patrol. Alas , no such luck. An acquaintance sees me in the elevator and asks me if I am feeling well. I told her that I felt find all the while wondering if I looked ill. Then it dawned on me. She thought that if I didn't appear to be going to work that I must not be feeling well. What a fool. And WHY am I even having such a conversation? Why be such a yenta? Its not polite. Being polite would be simply wishing me good morning.
A different day someone said to me "Why am I not at work?" She was so concerned. Tell me , why is it I have to tell anyone that I have a day off when I have a day off? Why does anyone even ask another such a question? If I did not have a job it would make me feel even worse to be so interrogated by all of these acquaintances. Familiarity really does breed contempt because all of these conversations make me want to ring some necks. I am really not a morning person and I don't like talking to people so early in the morning even on a day I do have work
Sometimes I am able to just smile and nod at these questions but the best thing is to be obnoxious. Then no will bother to accost me the next time they feel like opening their mouth and inserting their feet in front of me.
I was hoping that this morning would be just a normal Monday morning where I get up early and do my laundry without being questioned by the yenta patrol. Alas , no such luck. An acquaintance sees me in the elevator and asks me if I am feeling well. I told her that I felt find all the while wondering if I looked ill. Then it dawned on me. She thought that if I didn't appear to be going to work that I must not be feeling well. What a fool. And WHY am I even having such a conversation? Why be such a yenta? Its not polite. Being polite would be simply wishing me good morning.
A different day someone said to me "Why am I not at work?" She was so concerned. Tell me , why is it I have to tell anyone that I have a day off when I have a day off? Why does anyone even ask another such a question? If I did not have a job it would make me feel even worse to be so interrogated by all of these acquaintances. Familiarity really does breed contempt because all of these conversations make me want to ring some necks. I am really not a morning person and I don't like talking to people so early in the morning even on a day I do have work
Sometimes I am able to just smile and nod at these questions but the best thing is to be obnoxious. Then no will bother to accost me the next time they feel like opening their mouth and inserting their feet in front of me.
5 comments:
A better line than siyag lchachmagh shsika is אם לחכמים יפה שתיקה קל וחומר לטיפשים. That is one of my favorite lines. Its from Avos Direbi Nosson ch. 22
cool, i didn't know that one, but it is now one of my favorites.
If “Frum” people were really Frum, then they would stop asking an avalanche of invasive personal questions that are none of their business. First they pump you to reveal your personal information; then when they have it, they tell as many people as possible, as soon as possible. G_d will surely punish those big-mouthed people!
Our Rabbis teach that in the generation of Moshe, the Jewish tents were arranged so no tent looked into another tent; every Jewish family respected the privacy of every other family:
רש"י על במדבר פרק כד פסוק ה
(ה) מה טבו אהליך - על שראה פתחיהם שאינן מכונין זה מול זה:
You don't have to justify a lot of things to people...including why you're not at wor. Trust me, I should know how frustrating people's questions can be. As a recent English LLit grad, people are like "Why did you major in this? What on earth can you do with it?!" To which I respond (in my head of course) "Watch it buddy. I've got a degree in black belt ka-ra-tey too...so if you know what's good for you, you better stop being a nosy snob. Whew! Rant of the day. Anyways, I just discovered your blog and the content is great. I would love it if you checked my fashion/lifestyle one as well. And if you have Facebook, I would be super appreciative if you could like WEAR YOUR INVISIBLE CROWN there as well. Good luck in all you do and I continue to following your site.
Thanks Beckster. I'll check out your blog.
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