Nothing but the Truth

The most important and valuable lessons in life were taught to me right from childhood. But then, it's always one thing to preach and not always those who preached were the ones who practiced it. One incident which remains etched in memory is of one of my class teachers who taught me the very meaning of honesty. 

This incident happened many years back, when I was in Class 6, if my memory serves right. We had one of the best teachers in school as our Science teacher- Monzy Miss. She had given us a class test at the time and had distributed the answer sheets among the students after her correction. As we discussed answers in class, I realized that one of the answers I had written were incorrect, but she had rewarded marks for that particular question by mistake. 

I had two options- either to keep quiet and keep the extra marks or speak up and lose the couple of marks which would make a big difference as my score was quite good. Since she was such a great teacher and it didn't feel right to have those extra marks that I did not deserve, I spoke up and told her that my answer was in fact, wrong. Though she came and rectified my answer, she did not deduct those extra marks that meant so much to me. 

When I asked her why what she told me was this- those marks were a reward for my honesty and for speaking up. Since I decided to tell her the truth. The way she said that to me with a smile and made me feel that moment is something that I shall never forget in my entire life. The feeling was absolutely priceless. Thinking of that incident today, never ceases to amaze me at the greatness that my teacher is. 

It was a small class test and a couple of marks would have hardly mattered but for a eleven year old girl whose entire life revolved around her school and teachers and friends, it meant everything. And the most important lesson of all- one to speak up and not take things that you don't deserve, shall remain with me till the end of time. Thank you, Monzy Miss! 

Yes, there are a lot of incidents when we are forced to lie, or at least omit telling the truth. Simply because it's safe. Or confronting the truth may seem like a huge effort. But does that allow us to go to bed and sleep in peace? A prickling conscience is a heavy luggage to carry. Yes, there are people who are seemingly happy and content living a life based on lies. But is it the life that they want? The ones that they have dreamed of? 

Telling the truth is not always easy. As we grow older, so do the lies that we carry around. The older the lie gets, the harder it becomes to reveal. It slowly becomes a part of you, hardening over time. Sometimes we don't reveal it for we are scared of how much hurt we may cause others. But is it worth hanging an albatross around your neck at the cost of the lie? 

We may all have a person in our life who has taught us the meaning of what it means to speak the truth. In mine, it was Monzy Miss. Do tell me about yours. Who is that one person who changed your life for the better? 

To conclude, I quote from a beautiful poem I studied in school- The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge: 

         Ah ! well a-day ! what evil looks
         Had I from old and young !
         Instead of the cross, the Albatross
         About my neck was hung.

This post is written for Indiblogger in association with Kinley Mineral Water.