Venting
“A fool gives full vent to his spirit, but a wise man quietly holds it back” (Proverbs 29:11, ESV.).
Back when I was doing undergraduate studies (this goes back some time), I was working at a local television station. I took news off the “wire,” composed it to the teleprompter so it could be read by the newscaster. The young woman who did the news that night was the station’s star — cool, attractive, quick on her feet.
One evening the sound technician was having trouble. Her mike was not on. She spoke engagingly into the camera for several moments, her eyes shining with sincerity and concern about the story she was telling.
Then the word got through — “the mike’s not on” — and she stopped, pursing her lips in annoyance.
They put up the usual notice — “Please stand by, we’re having technical difficulties.” After a moment they thought they had it right, she spoke into the camera again, and presently the director shook his head again.
The mike was still dead. They switched to a commercial break while technicians worked desperately.
But our star had seen enough. She turned to the unfortunate sound man and commenced a prolonged, colorful dressing down. The subjects she covered were wide-ranging and personal, including the circumstances of his birth, the character of his father, and several other exhortations and encouragements.
Unfortunately, the sound man had finally found the problem, repaired it, and our “Lady of the News Desk” was now telling him off on a “live” mike! Several counties and a metropolitan center heard her give her supporting cast a piece of her mind.
Most of us couldn’t afford to give someone else a “piece of our mind.” There wouldn’t be much left for ourselves. Giving “full vent” to our anger — “losing it” completely we might say today — is a great image of someone losing complete self-control.
Remember, the emptier the kettle, the quicker the boil!