Candor

Traffic cop: Nakitto (while checking my driver’s license out), do you know why I pulled you over? He said while beckoning me out of the car.

Me: Yes (fidgeting to step out) Sir. Yes I have a clue. I overtook in a corner Sir.

Traffic cop: Why did you do that?

Me: (with the most sincere look) honestly Sir I don't know. It just happened. My head is in a thousand places today. I shouldn’t be on the road. But I have an emergency I must personally attend to.

Traffic cop: (after an awkward silence) you seem honest. Plus you’re humble. I'll forgive you this time. But buy me some water. You see how hot it is out here. At least for Twenty thousand shillings.

Me: Truth is I only have (while opening wallet) twenty thousand shillings on me. See?

Traffic cop: Alright Nakitto (while handing back the license to me). You can go. However, focus while on the road. You could get imprisoned. Keep the money for fuel; just in case.

Me: *shocked* Thank you very much Sir. I promise to be careful. God bless you.

And so effortlessly I survived a Ugx. 100,000 penalty!  Money I didn’t even have or in the least bit hoped to get in the 28 legal days from day of offense considering my January money drought seems to have endured through to February.

This may seem like such a triviality; however, I picked a valuable lesson that overly dusty and scorching hot afternoon. Best believe!

Oftentimes we opt for what in the here and now seems like the easy way out; extricate ourselves from situations by lying; naturally. 

Arguably, the truth presents some cons occasionally but in the long run are outweighed by the pros as it is eventually appreciated. After all, like the old adage goes; good things don’t come easy.

A bosom buddy of mine turned foe (for reasons unbeknownst to me) once told me “Ella, always speak the truth. That way, no one will ever have anything to hold against you since you’ll have nothing to hide”

I recently took these words to heart and learnt to flaunt my truth whenever required to. This way any trumped up stories will be as clear as day in the eyes of the intended consumers.

Some things are best left buried; you may think. However, time has a way of unexpectedly deracinating these little secrets.

Moreover, I could be benighted but it takes a lot of effort making up lies and keeping up with them. Eventually you slip-up and consequently lose all credibility.

Needless to say, truth is a single entity. It does not exist in bits and pieces of unrelated ideas or disconnected data as precisely put by Steven Lawson in his article; what is truth?

“Because truth is one body, it is always internally consistent. It never contradicts itself. Truth always speaks with one voice and is always in perfect agreement with itself. It is always in harmony with everything else it says, since each aspect of truth is congruent with the sum of its parts”

Candor is an infrequent virtue but prised.