| I suppose that one of
the biggest surprises I've encountered as an adult is
just how difficult it is to live by one's principles.
The perfect example of this can be seen on the road--years
ago I decided that I really had no right to break the
laws of the road, especially since I spent four years in
the army, supposedly to uphold the freedoms and
responsibilities of this country. It sounds easy,
doesn't it? Hmm. . . just try it--obey the traffic laws.
It's not easy at all. I go
the speed limit--not ten miles under--and I can't tell
you just how often I get tailgated, just how often people
put my life and the lives of others in my car in danger
by passing on double yellows or passing on the right (even
in residential areas where there's only one lane--people
have passed in the parking lane!), or how often I've been
flipped off by people who are in such a hurry that they
can't even respect my right to obey the law--no, my obligation
to obey the law. It's not a choice, or at least it
shouldn't be.
But the main point is that when
I want to follow my principles of obeying the laws of the
country I live in, I get harassed by people who don't
respect those laws. When I speak up for what is
right, others who disagree try to counter by putting me
down rather than responding to my arguments or points. When a friend does something wrong and
I say
something, I risk losing a friend. If a boss does
something unethical and I say something, I risk losing a
job.
Following our principles has been a
main tenet of virtually all great religious and spiritual
teachers, yet very few people are willing to focus a
great deal of effort on doing so. This should be,
in my mind, one of our highest priorities, for the
benefits to us and to those around us are great. People
who know me trust me, and that's one of the parts of my
life that I'm most proud of. When I pass a police
officer with a radar gun, I smile and wave--they have
enough stress in their lives with the people who speed
and then lie about it, and I know I'm not adding to that
stress. My employers trust me to do what I know is
right, but they also know that I'm more than willing to
examine my actions to see if I might not have been
mistaken in some way.
People who consistently put their
principles aside can't even trust themselves, when all is
said and done, and I can't think of anything sadder than
that.
tom walsh
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