Truthful? Not My Ashtray!
I found being truthful as an early teenager was a real challenge. This was for me a time for experimentation, and most often frowned on by my parents. My particular group of classmates seemed to feel they should act a lot older than they really were. A lot of us had older siblings, which may or may not have contributed to this thought process.
One such occasion that comes to my mind is this: I smoked.
Now, my parents were heavy smokers, so they were not aware of this, as there was no particular odor, and they were also guilty of this. Well, I smoked strictly on a social basis. There was a dairy bar called Wards, where my friends and I would often frequent. The activities that we did were drinking Cokes, gossiping, and smoking. Most of us were forbidden to go there, but, of course, we did, and always had an excuse as to our whereabouts, like at each other’s house.
I did not want my parents to know that I smoked, as they would have been upset. I suppose they didn’t want me to end up with this horrible habit as they had. Or, thought I was just too young. I would sit under my bedroom window with it open, of course, and smoke. Well, one day, my mom approached me and confronted me about smoking. She said she had found my ashtray under my bed. I, being the cool one, said it wasn’t my ashtray. Wow, that of course was a lie, as who would have had an ashtray stashed under their bed? This, I am sure, took any credibility I had with her away. Being truthful would have looked a lot less stupid and believable.
More times than I can share, I was not truthful to my parents. You see, at that hard age, early teenagerism, I always wanted to do things that were unacceptable for me to do at that age. So, even at the risk of getting caught, I didn’t seem to care.
There was another incident of stealing a carton of cigarettes, also called shoplifting, from a grocery store that my mom actually worked at. You get asked, “Did you pay for those?” You say “Yes”, but everyone knows it is a lie. How embarrassing, and it again puts another black mark before your name in that invisible list someone is keeping track of.
So, once I grew up, like fourteen, moving to the present, I have found that being truthful is always the best way to handle any situation, no matter how horrible it seems. I think back, and to this day, it embarrasses me to think that my stupid little lies earned me all those invisible black marks.
The truth always wins.
Click here to check out other Sidetracked opinions
Click here to listen to the Overcoming Writer’s Block podcast
Want to create your own legacy? Join the Sidetracked Sisters and start now!
Ever thought about working with a Life Coach? Are you a woman over 50 who feels unfulfilled in your long-term relationship? Lisa can help you rekindle love and joy, and avoid a “gray divorce.” Check out Lisa Hoffman Coaching.
#sidetrackedsisters #sidetrackedsandy #sidetrackedspaces #sidetrackedlegacies #legacywriting #legacystories #writeyourownlegacy #LisaHoffmanCoaching #GrowingUp #TeenageYears #HonestyMatters #LifeLessonsLearned #LookingBack #TrueStory #ComingOfAge #NostalgicWriting #FamilyMemories #TeenRebellion
Don’t stop here—peek at the rest of our Sidetracked Sister shenanigans at https://www.linktr.ee/SidetrackedSpaces
