The Truth Shall Set You Free

Today found me in an unexpected place. I had a chance encounter with one of Cincinnati's notorious attorneys that has been the subject of multiple indictments. I knew I had seen his face before watching the poise and air of one who is accustomed to the public eye. While I was searching my memory bank regarding this gentleman, another friend, began to pour out his troubled waters after a crane accident nearly killed one of his employees. We all know the hazards of industrial work and it's not a question of if but when Mr. Murphy comes a knocking. His dilemma, to lie or not to lie, stemmed from the simple concept of truth that accidentally embedded in his soul. He wasn't prepared for that, but who is when it happens.

He was negligent in maintaining the required inspection reports from his men and ultimately the responsibility will stop at his door step. Instead of some spiritually sound advice for him, I was mentally plotting creative writings that would buy him time until he can cloak his men in silence. These attempts would be called forgeries in everyday language, something he and I are all too familiar with. My failure to maintain a higher vibration of thought reminded me of Ram Dass' confession when he suffered his stroke. He didn't call out to Ram or his Guru; he was concerned with saving his own ass while lying on the floor and simply wondered, "why me?" Ram Dass admitted that after all these decades of spiritual pursuit he still had much work to do. Sometimes I think an average 'Joe Six-Pack' like myself doesn't stand a chance when hearing the humility of giants among us. Just as I was reprimanding my thoughts for becoming a co-conspirator, the mystery man spoke. He was loud and proud telling of his recently discovery that "the truth shall set you free." Uh oh, someone found Jesus I thought, preparing for a Chick tract and a guilt trip, but before I let my prejudice run amuck I listened further.

He recently was indicted and brought before a prosecutor for the BAR association in Columbus, Ohio. The long grueling process had taken its toll but he had decided that he was coming clean no matter what. So for hours the prosecutor questioned him and he went line by line confessing his part in all wrong doings. He joked we were probably in the room with him if we watched the news lately and that jogged my memory. Now it was clear who he was. I had seen the cover story and judged him on the spot as just another attorney that got caught and had what was coming to him. The Source never fails to teach me how much of an ass I am for my preconceived notions. I listened to him speak openly about how relieved he felt by just being honest. He jokingly stated he would be offended with people that accused him of lying to them when in fact he was lying to them. I was startled by the ease and candor with which he openly spoke about high crimes and misdemeanors. This man was truly free no matter what happens next. One thing he said that I will always carry with me, "They can't take from me what I am not willing to give, and today my relationship with God is one of those things. I may deal with everybody my way, but I ultimately have to answer to a higher authority and for that I will no longer operate in dishonesty." I was floored. A weird thought popped in my head that this is the type of man I would vote for.

Back to my friend, he shared that he was up all night plotting what he has done a thousand times before, lie to cover his assets. He rallied his men and set in motion "Operation Clean Sweep" then when alone he felt a prompting to call his boss and confess. He did just that and laid it all out on the table. He simply stated that he didn't have the necessary safety forms because they didn't exist. Silence met him on the other end of the line. He thinks this is the first time his boss has ever had someone tell him the complete truth. His lively hood of twenty years may be in jeopardy but you can see that he agrees with our attorney friend about knowing the truth and being set free. This sent my mind down several rabbit holes that I did not expect. How would I have reacted under either man's circumstances? I had already judged one and mentally was encouraging the other to commit a felony. Doesn't speak well of my spiritual condition when faced with life in real time? I am amazed when the arrow of truth pierces the marrow and won't give rest until its will is done.

Driving away from that encounter I began to replay the tape as I always do. Many who know me know that when the Source lays something at my feet I pick fly crap out of pepper until I drain the reservoir of all its lesson benefits. I was ashamed by the simple white lies that have become engrained in my daily business practices such as fudging mileage on the company car to avoid over paying Big Brother. What of personal relationships and the hopeful white lies we tell ourselves like "it will get better" or "things will be alright?" Is there time when lying is necessary? Can that be possible? Then my mind traveled to extremes and I thought of Josiah Kennedy, my great, great grandfather who fought with the 1st Kentucky Calvary, Company C, during the Civil War. Both sides of my family were torn apart by the war each believing their cause worth killing for.

The youth of this country amazes me because I was able to hear stories from my grandfather who was able to sit on the porch and listen to his grandfather tell stories of fighting in the Civil War. Josiah found himself captured by the Confederates in Sweetwater, Tennessee and was taken to Andersonville Prison. During his imprisonment Confederate family members visited, wished him well, and promised not to turn their rifles from him if he ever got out. Some family reunions are still that touching.

Josiah was starving and his prison cell mate who was due for a prisoner exchange died before the appointed day arrived. Seeing an opportunity, Josiah stuffed the dead man's body under his bunk and answered to the man's name when it was called. You can see by the records of Kentucky soldiers who perished at Andersonville that Josiah Kennedy is supposedly buried in grave 4921. Josiah spent a year recovering in a hospital before re-joining his Company to fight the remainder of the war until the surrender.

He returned to the mountains of Albany, Kentucky to work as a farmer and carpenter. I was given the cane he whittled out of an ash tree to help with the rheumatism that reminded him daily of his experiences. If he had maintained absolute adherence to truth none of my family would be here right now. So where do we draw the line? What are we willing to do and at what cost is it acceptable? Is it open to interpretation or based solely on an individual basis? Or is it set in stone that all must be black and white? I have no authority here to speak on absolutes and truth. I have been the king of loopholes my whole life and have recently made attempts to keep my ass in check. It's funny but if I were involved in a different conversation with those gentlemen where they had lied to cover their assets and bragged about it, it would have been just another day at the office. I see and hear it all the time. Toxic stuff. But to see the rarity of truth in action struck a cord. I try my best to remain free from the clutter of lies that can accumulate in our lives unaware. It's too exhausting to keep track of who was told what and when about why. I don't know how people can juggle those flaming torches on a continual basis.

Inspired by my friend's epiphany, upon returning to work I confessed to the powers that be that I was making up my entire travel report from January to December. Their response was, "we all do that." No clandestine moment of redemption for me. They just chuckled as if to say 'what's gotten into you' and simply walked away. I still don't feel better about it, if anything I think it's laughable the response I got. My attempt was a little spoke in a huge wheel that didn't reverse anything about the operation of that huge perpetual machine. All I can do is make future attempts to be painstaking about my record keeping in the year to come because if nothing changes after I've become responsible with a lesson I've been given, then the lesson is lost.


"More will be revealed later."

If you are interested in finding out about a family members military history pre and post WWI, you can visit the National Archives