I was going to show you something else this morning but I’m feeling a spot of rage coming on. It’s possibly why, with the original story/title of The Temper, it felt like like it didn’t quite hit the mark.

When I got to the fourth story of that book (you know, the one I wrote, not anyone else) I called it Out Of Time, because the name I’d been looking at for a long time to call the story was “Extempore”. It didn’t quite fit what I was looking at though. It didn’t sit right.

With a word like “Temper”, you get to see it in its entire meaning. The “pounding into shape” of a mood or mindset, the flash of rage those who don’t know me very well always seem to be surprised by, and the immediate control I will insert on myself when this happens. Not everyone can do this. It doesn’t make it an excuse, and sometimes it can be used to your advantage. Hence the alternative title of “The Tempest”, (which unfortunately had been used as a title many years ago for another book).

It (the word Temper) can never be used to your advantage, though, if you can’t control it. Imagine going into a boxing ring and flipping out at your opponent while he’s sizing you up for a nice meal. He’s going to win because he’s in control, and you’re not. Rage, and fury are two very different things.

So, when one is not in a boxing ring and one is capable of wounding with one’s voice instead of fists or whatever, one still needs to apply that very strict code of conduct to oneself to stop yourself from “beasting out”. It doesn’t always work, and sometimes it is almost impossible to control (I know this one for a fact when it comes to the written word), but the written word is possibly the ONLY place where one can go back and put things to right before they pass them on… Especially if the message conveyed is on someone else’s behalf because that other person was too much of a coward to say it themselves. It happens a lot, and sometimes it happens without their consent

If that is the case, as I have helped construct messages on other people’s behalf (my sons, husband, friends), then those people need to once again look at the title of this particular piece. Using my words without my consent to send a message will only get you deeper in the poop. Understanding whose temper is controlling who really depends on the time of day, so don’t get too carried away with yourself. Perhaps take a leaf out of your own “Book,” and learn how and why one needs to control one’s temper.

People also need to understand when a dream is a dream and not reality. Even if it’s a dream that smacks of deja vu, or a dream that appears to be a recurring one, it is still a dream, and not reality. If it hasn’t actually happened, it likely won’t happen at all. It’s like a little switch has popped on in your head to tell you beforehand that something might be difficult to control and it’s a pretty good indicator you’ll know exactly how to control it if you were ever in that situation. You’re welcome.