Unfiltered

Pete Lawson36 Comments on Unfiltered

 

As you get older your control systems don’t work as well as they used to.  The joints creak, your hearing fades, and your filter doesn’t catch as much from your brain to your lips.  Some people are born without filters, but most just fade as the days get longer.  There is a life cycle which starts with toddlers saying whatever is on their minds, it kind of gets under control as an adult, and then goes out the window late in life.  As adults, however, our filters come down temporarily under duress or after a chemical attack.  There have been many Sundays mornings I’ve woken up in haze and wondered aloud, “did I really say that last night?”  With physicians filters depend on the specialty.  When I first got cancer a surgeon friend of mine said, “Pete, if you’re going to get cancer, this is the one to get.”  The expression on my oncologist’s face was the same as Sister Jerome’s when “someone” farted in church.  Filters soften the sting of our sharp comments, but they don’t hide what’s really on our mind.

Growing up I never had a problem speaking my mind –  my Mom argued about any topic known to man.  If I said it was a nice day, she would say it’s cloudy.  If she liked the Yankees, then I liked the Red Sox.  It was great training for a future lawyer that I never became.  What she didn’t teach was there is a time and place for unfiltered opinions.  This is especially true when talking to people about illness.  After open heart surgery I had all kinds of catheters and wires sticking out of me, not doing great and every moment was sketchy.  Diane and the peeps were constantly reading the monitors, worrying about what direction I was taking.  With all of the morphine  pumped in, I was alert, but the filter was weak.  One day I was scheduled to have a bunch of tubes pulled out, so the family wisely left the hospital.  After returning from lunch, my daughter in law Kelsey looked at the monitors and said, “Wow, your blood pressure has really gone up nicely!”  I said, “Kelsey, if you had a tube pulled out of your weiner your blood pressure would go up too.”

I used to say unfiltered comments like that all the time;  I really didn’t care what people thought of my opinion – it was my badge of honor to speak my mind.  As I grew up and interacted with more people, however, it dawned on me my opinions made people uncomfortable enough to avoid hanging around.  In addition, I learned that even though someone expresses their opinion it doesn’t mean they are correct.  In retrospect, with all the radiation I’ve had I think it made the filter stronger (like Bruce Banner in The Hulk) so now I rarely give out unfiltered opinions.  I never figured there’d be a benefit from cancer, but with the filter working well I’m happy to be surrounded by supportive people making my world a better place.  Slainte.

36 Comments

  2. Pete, great read! Especially the wiener tube removal, personal experience 😂😂

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  3. Mr. Pete…some of us never get to the age of a good filter…but I tell myself that it’s ok. It helps me sleep better at night. I should wear a sign on my forehead…that says…”Caution…no filter. Actually…I have a silly T-shirt that says those exact words…so the forehead sign would be overkill. 🙄🚫😂

    I have been accused of being addicted to laughing. Sometimes…when I’m bored…I say things in my head that make me laugh all by myself. People think I’m crazy (and they’re not wrong…🙃). But…once in awhile my thoughts unexpectedly come out verbally…and I get myself into trouble. But it’s all accidental (I promise). Honestly…I would rather risk being offended by one or two unfiltered comments…because the bonus funnies are worth it. Being offended for a blip of time…is no biggie. But…missing out on great laughs…is ridiculous! That’s just humor abuse. 😂

    Thanks for giving us a reason to look forward to Wednesdays. 📝I know you and Diane are going to have a special weekend with everyone! Soak it up Mr. Pete…you all deserve it.

    #cheerslawsons 💕🪳🍀

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    1. Elisa, filters can catch diamonds in a rough; but by that time everyone is hammered and sleeping. Like a tree falling in the woods or putting on a soggy sock. Pete

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  4. Sometimes lack of filtering brings trouble, but in the end maybe it needed to happen? Always enjoy your posts😎🍀

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  5. Perhaps WVU Basketball Coach Huggins could have used this advice earlier this week! Enjoy your upcoming festivities!

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  6. Enjoyed this Pete! You know what they say about opinions… and I have plenty. I always like to right with all my opinions too. Over the years I find that being kind is more important than being right. Maybe that’s the adult filter? Hope you’re well Pete!

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  9. Eileen was known to be quite the contrarian!! Most of the time she did have a filter.

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    1. Nancy, Eileen was never short of an opinion; but years later after looking back she was normally right. Back then she thought Donald Trump had some panache. That was when he was just in real estate. Pete

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  12. Another great perspective on life. Yes, momentary lapses of filters can mean big trouble. Thanks for another great read Pete.

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Thanks for reading and letting me know your thoughts!