Day #349 The Rock of Integrity

Before I forget – my friend Cindy emailed me to thank me for including her in that funny “weight loss” post – but she said she hadn’t come up with the idea. It was something she found somewhere or other on Facebook and simply reposted.

As a writer, I always appreciate being credited with what I’ve actually written, but the internet has made dissemination of disinformation so incredibly easy. It’s tempting to say, “Oh, who cares?” After all, it’s not the end of the world if I say Cindy came up with the shampoo/dish detergent idea when it was really So-and-So from somewhere or other who first wrote it.

No. It’s not the end of the world. But it is one little fragment flaked away from the rock of integrity. The more often we chip away at that rock, the smaller it will become.

I’ve wondered over the past week, working occasionally at the Gwinnett Beekeepers booth at the fair, whether I should even claim to be a beekeeper anymore. After all, in another week or so I won’t have any hives on my back deck. When I’ve discussed bees with people ogling the observation hives, trying to spot the queen, I’ve been selective about who I’ve mentioned my allergy to. To most of them, I’ve simply said that I’m a hobbyist beekeeper with two hives on my back deck and that I love my 60,000 girls. Which is technically true.

Is there a similarity between crediting the wrong person for a funny story on Facebook and acting like a beekeeper when I’m not one anymore?

I’m not sure of the answer to that.

All I know is that, with the printed word at least, I’m going to continue to try my hardest to give credit where credit is due. I’d expect that from people who read and enjoy what I write, and I will certainly be meticulous about how I present other people’s writings.

If whoever wrote the shampoo/dish detergent blurb will please contact me -- I'd be happy to give you credit for it.

 

BEEattitude for Day # 349:

       Blessed are those who stay in integrity even when it’s hard to do, for they shall always find a sturdy rock to sit on when they are tired.

 

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