What Does It Take Courage For You To Do Or Not Do?

“Sorry, but I am afraid,” Georgia said pacing around in the park as Sherry sat on one of many concrete benches.

Sherry coaxes, “Just go in and pick up the red bag on the floor beside the table at the window. You will be paid.”

“And what if I am stopped?”

“Tell them that you left it there when you were having lunch a few hours ago. We did have lunch and you had a red bag,” Sherry continues to coax her.

“What if they want proof that it’s mine?”

“Tell them that your Gucci sunglasses are at the top along with an orange handkerchief,” Sherry bribes.

“How did you know that?” Georgia’s instincts demand.

“It was open, and I saw what was at the top.”

Georgia stared at her while wrestling with her conscience.

Sherry adds a scoop of ice cream to the pie, “An extra five hundred is in it for you.”

Nodding, Georgia said, “I am sorry. I can’t. I am not good at being dishonest.”

“But I am paying you more,” Sherry said in shock.

“I can’t,” Georgia said walking away.

“You are unemployed and need the money,” Sherry reminds calling out as she walked away.

Georgia slowed down for a second, thinking, ‘She is right.’

“You are a fool!” Sherry called out as something more powerful than desperation shoved her along and she keeps walking.

Nodding, Georgia remembers her late mother’s words, “Dishonesty is more expensive.”

Two days later at the interview for her dream job, Georgia sat inside the office of the manager, Vincent King, who keep smiling at her.

Then shared, “Your references told us that you were honest. So, we set up a sting to try to encourage you to be dishonest.”

Georgia’s eyes popped.

“Sherry your best friend, couldn’t encourage you to be dishonest, and for that, you are hired!”

Shock held her in place for a few moments as he stared at her smiling.

“Sorry, but this job required a level of honesty, and we need someone to past the ultimate test. One whose best friend can’t encourage her to be bad,” Mr. King explains still grinning.

“You mean, your company was behind Sherry wanting me to lie and pick up something that wasn’t mine?”

Still smiling, Mr. King said, “No. Abe from The Dishonest Show paid her to bribe you. We paid him to bribe her, to bribe you.”

“Does she know it was you?” Georgia asked, fighting to keep her laughter in.

“No,” Mr. King said staring into her eyes. “She speaks so highly of you we couldn’t afford her telling you. She thinks you are the only honest human being on the planet.”

“What would have happened if she had convinced me?”

“You would never know we were behind it. Plus, the bag has nothing of value in it.”

“You wouldn’t hire me?”

“No, but you would have been paid the money Sherry promised,” he said still smiling.

Silence roars as Georgia absorbs everything.

“Look,” he went on. “Your best friend and reference were sure she couldn’t convince you to be bad. She says it takes courage to get humans to do certain stuff, but it also takes courage for some of us not to do certain things. She said she had never met anyone as courageous as you when it comes to doing the right things. She swore that she can rely on you to do right by her. She was right about you not easy to bribe. That says a lot about you and this company wants to hire you,” he coaxes.

With a deep sigh, Georgia smiled, finally, and said, “Thank you for wanting to hire me and for testing me. I was at the end of the rope and needed that money. But my instincts were stronger.”

“We are glad because, with this job, your honesty and integrity will be tested daily. Training doesn’t cover all areas and the many tests you will face on the job,” Mr. King explained.

Georgia’s expression forced this question from him, “You have a problem with being dishonest?”

“My mother was the most dishonest human I know. I saw what it did to her,” tears threaten as Georgia was shoved back into the things her mother did. Swaying her upper body she reflects, “The pain of the consequences of her dishonesty stays with me.”

“So, you are saying it’s pain that forced you to remain honest?”

“Pain is a powerful motivator.”

Smiling as her words pulled memories to the surface, Mr. King agrees, “I have been there.”

“Both honesty and dishonesty add pain to my life,” Georgia recalls the many enemies she has created by telling the truth. “But honesty comes with a level of freedom dishonesty lacks.”

Mr. King’s eyes popped bigger than hers and he said, “You are right, either way, we are punished and rewarded for both.”

“But the rewards for honesty last longer.”

He nodded smiling, then said, “Free your tears child. I’ll think of it as tears of joy.”

Dishonesty is an involuntary action for my mother and many other people I know. I have seen what it did to their lives. I am aware, that many times, life shoved us into a corner, where to get out, honesty isn’t the right key to open that door. But I believe making the right decisions opens two doors. One for honesty and the other for dishonesty giving us a choice, which often takes courage to do one or the other.

I am not very good at lying, cheating, and scheming. My first reaction is, to be honest. Life showed me to stay that way, I must remain an introvert removing most human temptations. I think my people are the most dishonest humans I know.

I am sorry, but that’s from experience. And I have enough to write several books. Being kind also made me a target.

Many of us need the courage to do certain things. Friends, life, circumstances, opportunities, certain situations, our actions, choices, and decisions can encourage us to be bad or good. It also takes courage for many of us not to do certain things.

It takes a lot of courage for some of us to be honest and stay honest because courage is strength for many of us.

Thank you fro reading this piece. I hope you enjoyed it.