As the semester comes to an end, I must announce that this will be the final Man Column until the orientation issue, which will hit stands in June. I’ve covered a lot of issues these past few months, ranging from food to Facebook (two things I adore), but there are still a lot of things I have yet to cover. This week, I just want to talk about something simple: not realizing you didn’t want to say something until it’s too late.

An example of this could be tied in with the news of the Vatican’s recent forgiving of the Beatles. For those of you who don’t know the story, John Lennon made an offhand remark during a press event about the fact at that point, they were bigger than Jesus. Now, first impression could be that he indeed meant that the Beatles were greater than Jesus, but he really meant that they were, at that point, more popular than Jesus, or organized religion. Any kid off the street could probably tell you at least half of the lyrics to Ticket To Ride before they could even start to tell you a full passage of the Bible. This statement hit Christian groups pretty hard, causing them to come out and say that the Beatles were the work of the devil. They started Beatle burnings, where you could go and burn records, books, and countless merchandising efforts. Lennon had come out and apologized to those who felt that his remark was remarkably hotheaded and arrogant. It has taken the Vatican more than forty years to forgive him, but it wouldn’t have happened if Lennon had just kept his mouth shut.

We all say things we don’t mean in order to get the upside of a conversation. Even worse is the instant communication that we get from IM or texting. These technological advancements help make arguments grow faster and faster until there’s a point where you don’t have time to think about what you actually want to say. Sometimes you just want to say something.

There have been things I have said that I really didn’t want to say; but to defend myself to my friends, when you point it out saying that you were right and I messed up, it is a disclaimer for me to defend myself because I did want to say certain things. Cough.

Anyway, the lesson here is a pretty small one. Just watch what you say, especially during intense conversations happening over digital means of communication.

I’m always open to writing about anything you guys want. If you want me to tackle a subject, just find me on Facebook and I’ll think about it. I’ve had a few odd suggestions for my column over the past few months, so I’ll list them for you here: circumcisions, the Talking Heads, flushing the toilet, and marijuana; these are all things I could have talked about, but seriously? Another weed story? If there’s one thing the Suffolk Journal has had enough of, it’s weed. Also, shout out to my mother, who told me to write about “boys who go to college and don’t talk to their mothers anymore.” So, yeah. Peace out.