“Can I tell you something?” asks my friend Jack as he helps me unload my suitcases.
“Sure” I say unsurely.
“You’d better go brush your teeth.”
Waves of embarrassment hit me. I drop what I’m doing and march back to my sink. I’m already aware; though I do all the recommended oral hygiene, my mouth needs extra effort.
As my feelings temper on the drive to the airport, it occurs to me how difficult it might have been for Jack to say it. “It was scary” he admits. I am so glad he said something.
How do you receive honest feedback?
Consider next time, whether you agree with the person or not to simply say “thank you for taking the time to tell me.”
Humbly,
Jean Dedicated-to-Freshness Franzblau
