Honesty....Always the Best Policy?

If you've ever seen the movie, "A Few Good Men," you no doubt remember the famous interchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson...Cruise is just looking for the truth to which Nicholson responds, "You can't handle the truth!!!!

And for most of us, we might agree that sometimes the truth is a little hard to swallow...like if your doctor tells you that you are 40 pounds overweight and if you don't change your life style and lose weight, you won't be on this side of the dirt much longer. Or your husband of 35 years tells you that he is no longer in love and wants a divorce...bad news is often disguised as the truth and no matter how you try to soften the blow, the truth is still going to hurt and cause pain.

But since it is said that "laughter is the best medicine,"  I wanted to bring a little levity to the pages of Salt & Light and remind everyone that the truth is the truth and some people have a hard time dealing with it....which brings me to my story of a young boy just trying to tell the truth; maybe, there's a lesson here for us all. The story goes like this...

One day at school, my teacher asked what my favorite animal was...and I said, "Fried Chicken." She replied that my answer was not funny, but I think she was wrong since everybody except her laughed. My parents had always taught me to tell the truth, and I did. FRIED CHICKEN is my favorite animal. She sent me to the principal's office and I told him what happened...and he laughed, too. Then he told me not to do that again!

That night when I told my dad what had happened at school, he explained that my teacher was probably a member of PETA...and those people really love animals a whole bunch. I said I love animals too; especially chicken, pigs and cows.

The next day, my teacher asked, "What is your favorite LIVE animal?" And I said, "Chicken!" When she asked me why, I said, "Because you can make them into Fried Chicken." Everybody laughed and I got send back to the principal's office. I told him what happened; he laughed and told me not to do that again.

I must say I am really confused. My parents told me to be honest, but my teacher doesn't like it when I am and she sends me to the principal's office.

Today, she asked me what famous military person I admired most...I said, "Colonel Sanders."

Guess where I am now?

So, whenever you have to deliver the "truth" ...DO SO; but remember the one who receives it may not take it as well as you might expect. So, mix in some levity if you can...put in a dash of tenderness and a big pinch of compassion...and by all means, stir thoroughly with love and understanding, so hopefully the truth will not leave them broken and dispirited .

If we follow these simple guidelines,  maybe we will be able to handle the truth and we'll all be better for it!!

Speaking the Truth in Love,

WPQ