The other day
I overheard two colleagues
Disparaging another colleague
(Behind that colleague’s back)
For being overweight
It irritated me
For several reasons
Not least because
Although I’m not above
The clandestine critiquing of others
I would like to think
That I would never do so
For reasons so shallow
And unkind
As these people did
But it also occurred to me
That while the person who was the subject
Of the condemnation
Is indeed overweight
The two people passing judgment
Could also stand to lose a few pounds
And ultimately were being somewhat hypocritical
But then I worried
That in disapproving of them
I too was being hypocritical
Because although I would be confident
In declaring myself healthier and fitter
Than either of them
It definitely wouldn’t hurt me
To cut down on the snacks
Then again, I only judged them
On the basis that they
Were judging someone else
So maybe I’m not as bad as them
When all is said and done
Of course, I kept my thoughts to myself
And didn’t challenge them
After all, how could they know
I could hear their every word
Just because they were speaking loudly
Outside the room that they knew I was working in?
It’s not like they were talking about me
And the person they were discussing
Was blissfully unaware of the conversation
So, I just left well enough alone
I’m not sure what the moral of this story is
Possibly there is no moral at all
Or maybe it’s something about
Glass houses and stones
Which always confused me
Because who would build a house out of glass?
Unless the saying is about greenhouses,
But then why not just say greenhouses?
Anyway, it’s probably best not to throw stones
Indoors at all
Because most buildings have windows
James Proclaims! 
20 responses to “Throwing Stones”
British reserve at its stiff upper lippest.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We pride ourselves on it
LikeLiked by 1 person
one of the things that being disabled has made me realise is that there could be good reasons for these things, too. I have gone from an XS to an XL.
LikeLiked by 2 people
100% agree. You never really know what’s going on for someone else.
LikeLiked by 2 people
LikeLiked by 1 person
Spot on Thumper!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How incredibly unprofessional of them. People amaze me sometimes, and not always in a good way!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sadly this was not especially out of character…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Were these people were men or women?
LikeLiked by 1 person
They were women talking about another woman, but in the interests of balance, I do work with some equally unpleasant men.
LikeLike
I suspected that was the case, but in the interest of balance, I do think men can be really unpleasant too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Pretty hard to argue with Sir Walter Scott. Mainly because he’s been dead for 188 years…
LikeLiked by 1 person
True.
LikeLiked by 1 person
coupla jerks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many people are sadly. Including me some days I’d imagine…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hmm…I think you’d feel guilty if you acted like a jerk and knew it. Maybe I’m wrong.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no I would feel awful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s definitely sad that this happens far more often than we’d like to believe.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m certainly as guilty as anyone of being less pleasant than I’d like to believe I am, but some people are more consistently unpleasant than others.
LikeLiked by 1 person