The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2003

A lthough the classic definition of Right Speech is “speaking truthfully,” that is, calling a green thing green, and not purple, it has also been observed that silence is a paradoxical component of Right Speech. In this case, Mrs. Ambassador, by keeping silent, failed to participate in Right Speech. She kept silent about the 150 Cats of Labor when Mr. Ambassador called to see how Mrs. Ambassador was doing in his absence. She kept silent to the regional security officer when he called the next day to schedule the installation of new security light- ing, and to the general services officer when she came the following day to inventory the crested glassware. She kept silent to the local employees as well, of course, but our vigilant network sprang into action, alert- ing all sections about this imminent threat to the embassy’s tranquility. Mrs. Williamson’s plan called for the cats to reside in the large reception room, which all agreed was inappropriate. Therefore, suitable cages were hastily procured and “aged” by rubbing dirt in them and hitting them with shovels. They then were placed in the rear shed by the night security team, so as to be “found” the next day by the gardener. (They were later invoiced as smoke detectors.) This, too, was a violation of the precept of Right Speech, but one feels it is for our Americans’ own good that we act this way. I felt Mrs. Ambassador’s enthusiasm for this compli- cated act of charity grow as she enjoyed both the sudden- ly clandestine element in her life and the sense of using privileged surroundings to serve a worthy goal. Mrs. Ambassador and her willful daughter Fawn even declared a truce in their ongoing battle over how much midriff it is seemly for a teenage girl to expose for public considera- tion at school. A brief but memorable period of domestic harmony reigned over the residence, which was broken when Mrs. Williamson, carried away by her own enthusi- asm, added a new wrinkle to the plan. “It will be a great adventure,” Mrs. Williamson said one day, inspecting the rows of cages with the relaxed panache of a contented commander-in-chief. “I mean, you must come. I found this very nice man and all, and his truck is very reasonable, but I just decided that I had to follow the truck myself in my car to make sure that it was done right. F O C U S J U LY- A U G U S T 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 43 Contact us today! Web site: www.diplosales.com E-mail: diplosales@diplosales.com Phone: (516) 496-1806 Fax: (516) 677-3701