Honesty is a very important part of character.
We have all seen men who think they are not accountable
to the laws of men or of God.
They seem to feel that the rules of human conduct
do not apply to them.
A popular philosophy is, "What can I get away with?"

As someone once said,
"The difference between a moral man and a man of honor
is that the latter regrets a discreditable act
EVEN WHEN IT HAS WORKED."

I use this quote as my jump-off today. It has weighed heavy on my mind for quite some time. As I mature and get along in years, I find that I have become more repentant towards universal truths. Honesty and integrity have endured through the history of the world as admirable characteristics.

I used to work at the local grocery store. I'm omitting the name for fear of incrimination (lol). I knew the ins and outs of the grocery store. I could perform every function in the store, just short of the responsibilities of the Store Manager. I knew when the produce deliveries happened. I knew the exact time the Budw.eiser guy would show up. I knew when Heine.ken arrived. I knew when the ATM guys would reload the machine. I knew where every camera was, including the hidden ones. I knew when the main office courier arrived. I knew when the vault was open for the bank courier. I'm telling you, I knew every function of the store.

With such a vast knowledge of store operations, I felt empowered to extend store assets as my own. You get where I'm going with this? LOL... basically, I gave out product for free. My friends would come in, load up their shopping cart... I'd pretend to ring them up. And well... you get the picture. What did I get for my dishonest behavior? Nothing but a repentant heart. I don't even know how to start reparations for it and yet I do want to try and repair what damage I may have caused.

The current trend portrayed in the media is that the world is full of dishonest people. It seems that robbers and thieves, both on the street, in the halls of government and in corporate offices, are the main feature EVERYDAY in the mainstream media. It is such a skewed vision of the world. I believe that honesty and integrity is alive and well here in the United States and across the globe. I have to believe that there are more people like me out there, striving to make today better than yesterday.

My dishonesty from yesterday extend to my adult life as it continues to haunt me. From the day I left the grocery store, I promised myself I would never be 'that girl' again and I haven't. I've rediscovered the ideals of my parents and my brothers, that being honest in all my dealings is a legacy to preserve and pass on; that being honest honors my family and protects our family name. My repentant heart lays on the precipice of dishonor and as I write, I unburden the sins of yesterday in trade for the safe harbor of goodness.