The Mercury / Tuesday

I stumbled upon a powerful cartoon some years ago.

Its message has stuck with me long after the cartoon has disappeared* into the mass of papers that occupy our home.

“If you’re ugly on the inside,” the character said, “eventually it shows on the outside.”

This helped me frame why some people are mean-spirited, foul-mouthed, and can’t seem to find good in the world no matter what their circumstances.

It helped me self-monitor. It helped me ask myself why harshness or sarcasm or bitterness appear to be my first options on a particular day.

“Rod, what’s going on inside you today that sarcasm is so near the surface when you could choose kindness in its stead?” asks the persistent inner-voice.

Sometimes addressing the question helps me be a better person.

The cartoon helps me filter what I write online. I manage my vocabulary because of it. I filter how I respond to gibes and jokes that turn some people or groups into victims.

I think the cartoon struck such a deep chord because it strongly echoed the sentiments of one who said that everything that comes out of a person’s mouth reflects what’s going on in the heart.

* found it.. …. all credit to the artist if I could read the name….. (perhaps someone can assist):