Friday, All!
It’s been one of those weeks, a good one … one that “we” all got through apparently! Have you ever wondered if you were going to “make it” through a certain situation? It can literally drive you crazy! During my formative years, I had some “close calls” so to speak, and my parents took me to a good friend of theirs who was also a doctor … a medical doctor … but had enough “experience” and was an “outside voice” whom they believed could counsel me through my challenges. I mean, I didn’t quite know how to handle the transition from public school and living at home with my family … to a private school and living amongst strangers!
Fortunately, for me, there were some very fine people in the midst of those “strangers” who came in the form of teachers, coaches … and even fellow students! Sometimes, I feel like I had the best upbringing a “boy” could have due to my mother and father’s insistence on having “good character”, being honest and trustworthy … and telling the truth. That truth thing was one of my Dad’s pet peeves – he couldn’t stand it if we lied to him, and, when we did, we got what my old school Dad called “a whipping”, usually with a leather belt!! While I didn’t view it as “child abuse”, it was a common punishment for many of us kids in The Projects, I know because we could hear when someone else was getting a “whipping” in the next apartment or while we waited for the elevator in the nine story buildings! I can tell you how many times I tried to hide the marks (yep, there were often swell marks on my legs) when we had gym class at school! I learned very well that one should tell the truth. In fact, it really abhors me when someone looks in my face and tells me a bold faced lie!
Can you believe the news conference held by our current president yesterday?!? At some points of it, I thought he was having a conversation with himself. He talks as if he is trying to brainwash anyone within ear shot of his voice!! It’s like he will take a statement like, “You will never find anyone who is …” and he would finish it with something like “NOT anti-semitic” or “fairer than I am”. He even went as far as to say that he won more votes than Reagan or Bush!! How many listeners and viewers actually do a simple “fact check” when you hear stuff like this?!? According to our current president, he “inherited a mess”! Do world leaders really talk like that? Should they “lie” like that in front of the whole world … and keep a straight face at the same time?!? When I look at or listen to someone who is trying to convince ME of an untruth, I get very uncomfortable and usually block them out. While it appears to me that part of being a politician is learning to camouflage the truth or “spin lies” in a moments notice, I find it despicable for someone … anyone … to tell bold faced lies! My Dad used to say, “Tell the truth, boy, ’cause people don’t have anything else to go on (by) except what comes out of your mouth!” Personally, once a person proves to me that they will try to deceive me, I am cautious and skeptical about whatever they may say! I expect the same for me!
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend … and tell the truth … please!
Peace,
Educational Excellence 