I was a little over 3 years old, standing in line to Disneyland. We were going there on one of our annual vacations, and as far as I could remember, this was my first time going to anything Disney.
“2 adult tickets, 2 child tickets, and this one is still under 3 years old.”
“But Daddy, I’m already 3 and a half.”
I remember my father briefing me beforehand, telling me not to say anything as he was going to try to get my admission for free. I don’t recall whether my father ended up having to pay for my admission or not, but I do remember him being quite upset that I spoke honestly. For a long time, I remember that I was always very honest with everybody. When checking out at the store, if the cashier typed in the wrong price, I would correct them; if somebody asked me for my age, even though, back then I looked older than I actually was, I would answer truthfully.
However, somewhere while growing up, I started learning how to fib to get the things I wanted. Maybe it was because I wanted to get away with buying a pack of cigarettes or a 6-pack of beer. But somewhere along the lines, the thrills of deceiving to get the things I wanted took over, corrupting the boy that was just a little too honest. I made new friends, I went to big parties; I was living life. I’m not too sure that version of myself stayed around for, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that the people I was hanging out with weren’t true to themselves. At school, they would be a totally different person than the ones attending those parties. An unrecognizable persona which I can only describe to be as stark a difference as Bruce Wayne and Batman. I didn’t want that. I wanted to be myself. From there, the honesty started seep back into me – I wanted to be true, I wanted people to like me for who I was and to get an uncensored version of myself.
It was a few years later, well after high school, but I still remember the day when somebody close to me told me that trust is the foundation for a lasting relationship. It’s what binds friends, families, and lovers together by opening the door to the inner comfort zone that sits in between two people. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, but as time has passed, and as I’ve watched friends and relationships come and go, those words have left a lasting mark within me. Looking back in life, during the times of my party days, I feel that a lot of my friendships were false and built on a fake persona. Unsurprisingly, most of those people are no longer a part of my life.
Good friends stand by to support each other. They listen with open arms when you need somebody to talk to, and willingly share the details of whats bothering them in their personal life when they are in need of a good venting. But this only happens when you build that foundation of trust between one another; built upon girders of honesty, these are the friendships that you’ll look back on and cherish forever. Be truthful, be honest, and life will reward you with something much more meaningful.