"To thine own self be true"

 

 

John Mellencamp was on Letterman last night, and he looked and sounded great! I've always liked him so much, not just because of his music, but because he is what he is, and he always tells it like it is. They don't call him the Little Bastard for nothing!

 

He was telling a story last night about how when he was a kid, his Dad caught him in a lie. He knew it, his Dad knew it, and when Dave asked, "Well, what did you do?" John said, "I thought, 'oh hell, I'm just gonna hit him' and I did." He said his Dad just sort of stepped back and laughed, and John realized that his lying wasn't accomplishing anything, no more than his punch did.

 

When I was young and stupid, I lied about things. The two key words there are "young" and "stupid." I learned very quickly that lies result in more lies, and the next thing you know, you're scrambling to keep up, trying to remember what you said, juggling to keep all the balls in the air...but one will eventually drop, and the entire web of deceit you've woven will collapse around you.

 

It's just not worth it. In the end, truth will always out.

 

We got some disturbing news last night. A couple we know...well, the husband suspected the wife was having an affair, he confronted her, she admitted it, and that's that. She took off, who knows where, and I doubt that this rift can be repaired. I find it very sad, and I'm quite disappointed.

 

When Ken and I first met, he told me his basic philosophy--not just in relationships, but life in general. No lying, no cheating, no stealing. Simple, huh? I submit to you that cheating in a relationship violates not just one, but all three caveats. Not only are you cheating, you are lying about what you're doing and about your commitment, and you are stealing the trust and love from your partnership. If you can't trust each other on that, how can you trust each other in anything?

 

It is SUCH a betrayal, and it is so hurtful. I've become quite fond of Ken <grin> and I could no more hurt him in that way than I could punch a puppy. Part of the reason I feel that way is because of his trust in ME. I've never had that level of trust before, and it's such a great feeling that I would never want to do anything that would jeopardize it.

 

Constructing such an elaborate complex of lies has but one conclusion: you'll get caught. Eventually, the truth will catch up to you and you'll get caught. People will see you for who and what you are, and you will lose any trust and respect you've garnered along the way. It's also just plain embarrassing to be caught in a lie (just ask Larry Craig). Is it really worth it?

 

Chuck Swindoll said, "Honesty has a beautiful and refreshing simplicity about it. No ulterior motives. No hidden meanings. An absence of hypocrisy, duplicity, political games, and verbal superficiality. As honesty and real integrity characterize our lives, there will be no need to manipulate others." Not quite as simple as Ken's rules to live by, but nicely said!

 

 

Tags: John Mellencamp, lies, honesty, blogplugs