One of the main topics in my book is honesty. That thing that children possess which makes them perfectly comfortable pointing out the shortfalls in the physical appearance of total strangers. That thing politicians and people who send spam seem to be sorely lacking.
I have only marginally followed the “runaway bride” story that dominated the headlines the last few weeks. You know, the girl who took a bus to Vegas and pretended to be kidnapped. I can almost understand her trepidation, given that 14 bridesmaids were on the roster and somebody was responsible for arranging all 600 guests on the seating chart.
I’m no psychologist, and I’m nothing more than an outside observer, but it sure seems like the whole situation would have benefitted from a little honesty. Perhaps she was freaked out by the monstrosity that her wedding had become. Maybe she was scared to let anyone know how freaked out she really was. But it’s hard for me to imagine that a little chat with Mom or Dad or Mr. Fiancé would have ended up any worse. Not to mention the trouble she’s in with the police, also because of a lie.
We often avoid telling the truth because we fear the consequences. But we often forget that the consequences of not telling the truth are usually far worse.