Pest Management Professional, September 2010

Whits World A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW Marty Whitford Editor in Chief Honesty Always Rings True R emember what it was like to possess unbridled honesty For many of us adults its been decades Unbridled honesty is what made Liar Liar the 1997 comedy in which Jim Carrey played an attorney who cant help but speak his mind and tell the truth at every turn so appealing at the box office On a daily basis I get a whiff of that pure white honesty children seem to innately possess thanks to our three children our 25 nieces and nephews and my 10 godchildren We adults could learn a lesson or two about rigorous honesty from these little ones Complete honesty not only is the easy way its the only way Our day to day dealings and long term relationships with co workers customers the public and our families and friends hinge on honesty Fortunately honesty is pretty straightforward Is it true or false Having said that in practicing honesty sometimes theres a golden mean that perfect spot somewhere in between a childs penchant to be brutally honest where in some cases a taming of the tongue would be advisable and that point to which many of us adults seem to have progressed where too much is muddied or buried for myriad reasons also known as rationalizations Political correctness aside childrens penchant to freely speak their minds often yields refreshing humorous big picture honesty Its All About Perspective A few years ago Bridgid was cuddling with our ever lovable son Jamie who happens to have Down syndrome Holding Jamie and worried about serious medical tests our precious angel was set to receive the next morning Bridgid told him When I was student teaching in college I worked with some beautiful children who had Down syndrome and Dad and I said to each other way back then Wouldnt it be fun to adopt a kid with Downs And then God gave us you years later Jamies eyes lit up He grinned ear to ear and asked You mean I was your dream come true Mom Laughter Medicine Without a Co Pay Bridgid shared the above story with me that day when I got home from work After hearing the touching tale I looked at Jamie and tried to humorously change the gravity of the conversation Let me get this straight You were hugging and kissing my wife What were you thinking Jamies little body shook with laughter as he quipped That was my dream come true Dad Lord of the Rings I recently attended a grade school reunion St Mark Class of 1980 where my wife discovered Id previously proposed to five other women Luckily I was in the first grade when I was handing out rings Ill never forget my dad asking me about the five plastic companion rings I was wearing and then grinning impishly and cautiously as he looked at Mom and asked Why on Earth would anyone want five wives Having five wives is like having five different stories Its best to be married to one story the truth at work and at home Absolute honesty is the goal we claim progress but seek perfection PMP You can reach Whitford at mwhitford@ questex com or 216 706 3766 At a recent reunion my wife discovered Id previously proposed to five other women 112 PEST MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL SEPTEMBER 2010 www mypmp net