by Anease Lacaze

Created on: October 14, 2008

As a child, I was less than always truthful. I would say anything to keep myself out of trouble. Lies came to me easily, and I saw no harm in my actions. I was completely capable of recognizing wrong from right, but I chose to go on telling half-truths and lies. Oddly, I was rarely caught telling lies. Of course there were occasions when my stories got me into a whole heap of trouble, but that was certainly unusual. I was also an observant child. I paid close attention both when it was expected and when it was unsolicited. I learned how to read people from a very young age. I watch for behavior and gestures; people-watching is and has always been one of my most favorite pastimes. As a result of my childhood, I learned to gauge peoples' truthfulness.

Being a great liar is perhaps the best way to pick other liars out from a crowd. I do not lie anymore; it took me twenty years to see the harm lying brings. I felt untrustworthy for most of my later teenage years. In reality, I did not lie to people whom I was close with, but I still needed to modify my behavior. When I stopped lying, I no longer had to remember what trivial lies I had told and to whom I had told them; I was free! I am now beyond truthful. At times, people have told me I am brutally honest. I used to lie when my true opinion would hurt someone's feelings, but I began to speak my mind. I understand the potential problems of being so forthright, but people deserve honesty. If everyone could be honest with themselves and with others, the world would unite in truth. Petty arguments over deceit dissipate, leaving integrity in their wake.

I wish I could say that being an honest person keeps me out of conflicts, but conflict follows even closer now. My honesty has been known to offend people, and I have yet to learn how to harness my thoughts before I speak. I learn little by little how to tell the truth without being hurtful; although, it's nearly impossible in some cases. I strive to either deal with someone bluntly and fairly, or not at all. The older I get, the greater the number of people I encounter who cannot handle the truth. I grasp that the truth can be painful, but I do not understand why some run from it at any cost. I find that if someone is not adult enough or self-aware enough to hear the truth, then they are likely better off not associating with me. I would never shun someone because of their lack of maturity, but I do exert large amounts of effort to surround myself with positive people who NEED the truth, just like I do.

Knowing the truth and speaking the truth releases the shackles of lies from life. Honesty enlivened me and removed doubt from my life. Live true, and only by you.

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