Sometimes I blog about topics that have been nagging me for a while; on other occasions, I write about whatever subject comes to mind when I sit down at the computer. There is always something to write about. When ideas don’t come to me off the top of my head, I rely on the media. It offers a wealth of topics. But occasionally someone will leave a note on my blog on the “What do you want me to write about?” tab, and suggest that I write about a certain subject. Often the subject is something they want to get off of their chest.
You read it right. They want me to write it, so that they can vent – through me; as if I don’t already catch enough flack from expressing my own opinions. But admit it, that’s what opinionated people do. We opine. You do it. I do it. Everybody does it. And so – on behalf of those who may not have their own public platform, or perhaps have not been blessed with the gift of gab (in this case, relevant to writing), or are just reluctant to put themselves in the crossbow like one of Olivia Pope’s gladiators (certainly, you’ve heard the saying ‘Fools rush in…’) — for those cautious souls, I’ve started a series called Anonymous Speaks. The first entry follows.
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Some people talk a good game. In fact, that’s all they do is talk, talk, talk. Rarely do they follow through with any action. They are the ultimate wolf ticket sellers, the tongue-waggers. They constantly boast about what they could or would do (while sometimes cunningly suggesting what someone else should do). Tongue-waggers lead others to believe that they are workhorses, but they seldom run anything except their mouth. The only track record they have is for spewing hot air.
Most of us know someone like them. (Raise your hand if you are one of them. Couldn’t trip you up, huh? But you know who you are.) Tongue-waggers are found anywhere and everywhere. There is always at least one in social clubs, in churches, and they are all over the workplace. They impress some people because they talk a good game, but if you study them you will notice that they rarely do anything; and volunteer for something? Ha! Does a snowman sunbathe?
Understandably, this ticks off self-starters, because their sharp eyes easily spot people who have a lot of mouth, but do nothing but flap their lips. Tongue-waggers seldom display any ability or willingness to assume responsibility. As my anonymous critic says about them, “People like that talk the talk, but when it comes time to walk – they are nowhere to be found.” They stand out like a black coffee stain on a white shirt, and should be awarded an Oscar bearing the proverbial inscription, “Every ass loves to hear himself bray.”