what did I say?

excerpt from “Bunny and I”

an offcut from the StoryKettle.com

“Yes” I said “you have to be very careful what you say to other people and be very careful what you understand from other people.”

“Now, suppose you were standing on the edge of a very busy road that you wanted to cross and I said to you 'Be careful of the fast cars; they're very dangerous!' What exactly did I say?” Roz said “Be careful of the cars; they are dangerous!” I said “Good! And what did you understand?” “Oh, that you thought I was too stupid to cross the road.” “Good! And what did I really mean to say?” Roz thought about this “No idea!” “That's exactly right!” I said “You will never know what I really wanted”.

Roz said that I was so clever; I said that I went through life with two eyes, one wide open to see things perhaps others don't, and the other closed shut so that I don't see some things right in front of my very own nose.