“When in doubt, tell the truth. It will confound your enemies and astound your friends.”
~ Mark Twain
Remember the old TV show “Candid Camera,” where people were set up for foolish tricks and pranks and filmed without knowing it? With the proliferation of security cameras — homes, doorbells, malls, schools, government buildings, theaters — being on “candid camera” has become everyday life, and we would do well to remember it.
I got pulled over a few months ago while out of town. I was in a hurry, trying not to be late for a meeting on a Sunday morning. It was the first time I’d been pulled over since my teenage years and the sight of those red and blue flashing lights in my rearview mirror triggered the same surge of panic it did many decades ago.
I handed over my ID and insurance and was told why I’d been pulled over. When the officer asked me where I was heading I told him I was running late to a 12-step meeting and hadn’t been paying attention to the recently installed speed limit signs at the new roundabout. It may have been the fact my driving record is squeaky clean, or that I told him the truth about where I was headed and why, but he let me go with a reminder to slow down next time. I was grateful to be shown such grace and mercy.
I think that’s generally the case when we’re just honest about our screwups… most people, even if they’re disappointed by our behavior, will show mercy in the face of an honest confession of error or fault.
It’s when there’s no honest confession, no admission of wrong, a half-hearted defense of “that’s not what I did/said/meant,” or worse, a blatant denial of bad behavior, that mercy and grace are — and should be — tested.
In my case, for example, if I’d told that nice officer I “didn’t remember” speeding, or that he was exaggerating, would I have earned a solid reprimand? I think so.
Whenever we’re caught in an awkward situation and don’t know how to respond, it’s best — as our parents admonished — to just ‘fess up. The truth eventually comes out, one way or another. Tell the truth and shame the devil, as the old saying goes.
