Truth/Honesty

April 2

I am thankful for the truth and for honesty. I try to be honest and truthful, but sadly, I cannot say that I always do so. As people, we appreciate others who are honest because we know we will always get the truth from them. People who lie all the time become victims of the 'boy who cried wolf' syndrome - nobody believes anything he/she says even in the rare instance when they do tell the truth. More often than not, it is better to grit your teeth and tell the truth. When we tell lies and fabricate complex scenarios to supposedly protect ourselves, we generally dig ourselves a deeper hole and end up far worse than we would have been if we had just 'fessed up in the beginning.

In yesterday's blog I lied through my teeth - although I hope you will excuse me because April Fool's Day may exonerate me from the truth when I was just pranking. Even though it was April Fool's Day, and I was careful not to hurt anyone, make fun of anyone, or embarass anyone, I feel extremely guilty about the ruse. I think implanted in our brains or souls is the knowledge and inner feeling that to lie is wrong. We should learn to pay attention to that inner voice that tries to keep us on the straight and narrow. We tend to try to justify our actions and in doing so too often can silence that inner voice to us.

To tell the truth does mean to tell the "whole truth". Telling a partial truth can be more damaging than a complete lie. The reason for this is that when you hear things that are verified to be true, but a lie is inserted, you are more likely to accept that lie as truth than if everything were lies. My April Fools Day Blog may have looked legitimate because I included so many factual things about Barrow, Alaska (assuming my Wikipedia sources were accurate). The people that really know me probably weren't fooled in spite of all the facts. The truth is that I do enjoy the occasional snowfall but the operative word is occasional. Otherwise, why would I be living in the south?

In trying to come up with a photo representative of truth, I thought of when you are sworn-in in the courts and you place your left hand on the Bible and raise your right hand and then asked "Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" I think it is just as important for us to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, even if we aren't swearing on a Bible. God hears us no matter where our hands are placed. Nowadays, the use of the Bible for swearing in is declining but the meaning of a person's word should be just as solid as if there were a Bible involved.

The Bible in the photo was my first Bible and was given to me by my grandparents, Fred and Mary Tulley in 1960. The candles - I don't know, I just thought they added a nice touch to the photo but they could represent "the light" of honesty.

i cannot tell a lie

george washington is famous for saying

“i cannot tell a lie

i cut down the cherry tree

so of my guilt you i officially notify”

but here’s the truth

and why he didn’t tell a lie

yes, george cut down the tree

but he used it as an alibi

to keep his dad from noticing

to keep his dad from knowing

that he had eaten all the cherries

from the tree that were growing

so he chopped it quickly down

hoping his dad wouldn’t see

that all of the cherries

were missing from that tree

(with apologies to george washington –

i likewise cannot tell a lie

i made this entire story up

so now the truth i clarify).

© rt tulley