honesty is the best policy
Posted: July 22, 2012 Filed under: figures of speech, history, pearls of wisdom | Tags: choices, honesty, independence, pearls of wisdom, stealing 12 CommentsMy father told me a thousand times “Honesty is the best policy”. His father was famous in his small town for being a man who’s handshake was as good as a contract.
When I was sixteen, working as a carpet cleaner, back in 1972 or so, I dated a lovely girl Marybeth who’s father was the manager where I banked. There were no ATM’s and direct deposit in those days so every Wednesday in the summer I would go in to Farmer’s National Band & Trust and cash my check. I bought all my clothes, paid almost all my own expenses at the age of sixteen.
One day the teller gave me one hundred dollars more than my check claimed. One hundred dollars was alot of money to a guy paying everything himself. I promptly informed the teller and returned the extra.
As most teen romances do, Marybeth and I soon drifted apart and years later I heard her father was arrested for embezzling. I wonder if he thought me a fool for returning the money?
No matter, it was the right thing to do.
bwthoughts 
Alas – where have those days gone where a person’s word is their bond – it seems nowadays you are considered week or stupid if you are honest. I am proud to be both of those if it means I can hold my head high and know I have been honest 🙂
(Loving your blog!)
Alex
thank you, as Faramir said in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, “the praise of the praiseworthy is above all rewards”
Oh – so true!
No matter. It WAS the right thing to do.
Karma is a wheel, I’m glad you returned the money – I would have too 🙂
cool!
ahhhh good for you – it was indeed the right thing to do!
thanks — alas I must not have the “right thing” for Marybeth though ( laughing )
(smiling) Not sure how to respond!
at 16 even the best of us are rough around the edges. By the time my wife and I met, I might have been slightly improved.
so glad you returned the money! the program that used to be on tv “What would you do” certainly revealed that even those close to myself or my family showed their true character, needless to say they are no longer close. So it is nice to hear of someone that would do as we would do.
I am always surprised that so many think it foolish.