Doing the right thing.

The other day, I made an appointment with a friend at 10.00am. The friend came at 10.30am! I chided him for being late and his reply was, 'Relax la brother. Where's the fire? ' It seems to be the fashion to be late. To be on time or early is considered nerdy or not cool!

I think this is not right. We must mean what we say. If we say we will be at a certain place at a certain time, then it is our duty to be there at that stated time baring all unforseen circumstances like a meteor shower, an earthquake, a flash flood etc. It seems rigid but when a person acts according to his/her word you know that person has character. Character in a person makes him trustworthy and dependable. One, Nathaniel Emmons also said "I could never think well of a man's intellectual or moral character, if he was habitually unfaithful to his appointments. " He is so right.

We need to teach the young that these characteristics are admirable and to be desired. It is a good thing not to smoke pot or marijuana which may go against the mainstream of todays cool cats. It is also a good thing not to smoke cigarettes. It is a good thing not to cheat in exams. It is a good thing to do your own assignments and at the same time making time for discussions with those who are struggling with theirs. It is a good thing to tell the truth. As one comedian said, "Be a man. Do the right thing." Of course doing the wrong thing doesn't necessarily make you a woman!

We also must learn to give the benefit of doubt to others regardless of their race or status. I was reminded of this by a friend when I left my T-shirt in the men's locker after our friendly match in another town. When I told my friend that most probably one of the workers there would have taken it by now, she said that I shouldn't say that. We have to give them the benefit that they could be honest also and she suggested that I call the clubhouse to see if anyone had seen it. I immediately agreed with her but decided to call our Captain first. He said he saw it in the gent's room but didn't know whose it was but decided to bring it back anyway. I got back my T-shirt and learned a valuable lesson from my friend.

Coming on time may be a small matter but it speaks volumes about the character of the person. One might think if I can't trust you with little things what makes you think I will trust you with greater things! Granted it is hard work but that's what it takes. "”You cannot dream yourself into a character. You must hammer and forge yourself one." - James A. Froude. Some people also say character is what you do in the dark! Now that's another story.