Dirt Throwers

"Don't throw dirt," I heard a daycare teacher tell the little ones as they opened the door to go outside. Mrs Christy knew that some of the toddlers and preschoolers had the capacity to throw dirt. "Time out" for dirt throwers. That would be the penalty- time out. Sit and contemplate the consequences of your actions, should you decide to throw dirt at a friend.

When I heard her words, it hit me immediately. I thought of dirt throwers in life. Those who gossip, those who spread vicious lies. There are people who seem to get joy out of belittling others. One of the problems with dirt throwing is that others get involved in the process. The next thing you know, you've got people slinging dirt at people of whom they know little about. If you have ever been on the receiving end of the dirt throwing, you know from experience that it is not pleasant.

I will use, for example, a social network I am on- Facebook. On this site you follow friends or like minded people of interests, who follow you back. There are some whom you may not know, but for the most part, you are linked with these people. These are your FRIENDS. The emphasis being on friends. Yet sometimes, I will see a posting that is a complaint about something someone did or didn't do, a gripe about what someone did to them. They don't name names, they just leave us wondering what in the world is going on. Did I do something? Was it me? And I wonder when I see the dirt throwing, what will this accomplish? If this is your friend, why not go to them personally, rather than post it on the wall for us all to see?

You see, the problem with dirt throwing is that you not only get it on others, you get it on yourself. You get it on you, you get it on mama, you get it on junior, and you get it on yourself. The end result is that we all need a bath-- because you chose to throw dirt.

I'm joining with Christy, one of my daycare teachers, in saying "Don't throw dirt."