Categories

Content Type

Sources

Feeling snitchy? Well, I'm telling!

By Ed Hayes, The Orlando Sentinel, Source: MCT News Service

To tell or not to tell, that's the question.

Is it nobler not to tell? Depends on the situation, obviously.

OK, take these circumstances. No, I'm not talking about that fiddle-faddle going on in our armed, uniformed ranks. Here's the story. You've just nabbed your big brother breaking the rules.

What rules? That throws another light on the matter, doesn't it? Could be God's rules, otherwise called commandments. Or maybe you just nabbed the big boy breaking a house rule.

And with tapering eyes you jibe, "I'm telling!"

Is that a familiar phrase echoing back from your childhood or what?

You're not normally vindictive, we know it, but this was one of those ah-ha! chances of getting even with your brother _ or big sister, come to that _ for past rebuffs, snubs and such.

Tell me you've never suffered any of these slings, never been nudged around by a blood relative, I'll certainly believe you. However, I might add, "Are you sure?"

Could be you weren't blessed with siblings. I had a big brother and a little one, and we had piddling spats, but I wouldn't have traded either of 'em for one of those classy Lindy Coaster bicycles.

"I'm telling." Did I ever pull that one? Oh, probably. Who'd I tell? Mom? And she scolded the wrongdoer? "Your father'll hear about this the minute he steps in that door."

And who, pray tell, would Dad tell? Seriously, it's doubtful that he, the minute he got home from work, would desire to hear that one of his golden lads had skidded off the straight track.

All Dad sought to hear after hopping off the streetcar and stepping in that door, was "Hi, Dad," piped from his three sons. Next step, pop off his hat and kiss Mom.

Ah, home again, home again, a daddy with his little family. Who could implore for anything more?

I do believe this would be one of those refulgent moments when my dad counted his bounties, when he'd be unable to voice one single qualm about immigrating from Ireland a decade before, under the heavy risk of never again seeing his folks.

And I should chance distorting that scene for him?

The way I judged it, the first quarter of life was the learning pad. Not that we shouldn't have, if so gifted, composed a concerto. We learned to tell, or snitch, or not to, and to always study the price. We are who we became.

But time marches on. "Don't ask, don't tell" is the newest tune, with a stepped-up cadence. Well, forget all that twaddle. That won't help anybody win a war. Ask the survivors of World War II, the folks who won a big one.

___

(c) 2010, The Orlando Sentinel (Fla.).

	Visit the Sentinel on the World Wide Web at http://www.orlandosentinel.com/.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.