No Name-Calling Week, January 21-25, 2013
No Name-Calling Week is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.
Since I am way out of school and have no kids or grandkids to fuss about, I will attempt to speak nicely to Rodney & the other four-legged critters. Unfortunately, we have taken to referring to Rodney as Dimwit. He’s curious, brave, and interested in his environment. However, once he accumulates all this data, he doesn’t seem to know what to do with it. He cannot, so far, take 1 and 1 and arrive at 2. We’re talking normal horse math here, not quadratic equations. Plus, when asked to synthesize, he has a tendency to take 1 and 1 and arrive at The Sky Is Falling. The resulting ignorance and hysteria leads us to treat him dismissively. But not for this week.
Of course, Rodney doesn’t care what mouth noises we make around him. He cares about tone. However, words affect thought affect action. So, if I speak dismissively and impatiently, guess how I am going to treat him. And then we’re back to The Sky is Falling.
Who do you need to handle more gently in speech?
(NNCW found from a banner ad on Unshelved, a library comic.)
Virtual Brush Box 
1. Myself.
2. I suppose I could try not ending every command I give my red dog with, “Or I’ll break all your legs.” 😉
Right you are – words do effect thought and action. And ‘myself’ is an awesome answer. I think we *all* need to remember that one. I know I certainly do. And there are others too that I could often remember this with.