@Danika 10 March 2022

Truth *Rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth. -Henry David Thoreau* When it comes to the matter of sincerity, I bet many would say that they are sincere (let's face it only very few persons will admit that they are not, and guess what, they are!). According to Wiktionary; The state or quality of being true to someone or something ***Truth*** *to one's own feelings is all-important in life.* (*archaic*) faithfulness, fidelity. (*obsolete*) A pledge of loyalty or faith. Conformity to fact or reality; correctness, accuracy. True facts, genuine depiction or statements of reality. That which is real, in a deeper sense; spiritual or ‘genuine’ reality. Something acknowledged to be true; a true statement or axiom. (*physics*) A now-outdated term for topness. (See also truth quark.) Source http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/truth Let's define Truth

According to the above definitions, more than words more than sayings, much more than action, **Truth is a State.** A state or nature of truthfulness. You see so many people find it so hard to tell the truth and it's not really their fault but they don't really have that nature in them. (Check out what the Bible says about Truth) https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/bible-verses-about-truth/%3Famp&ved=2ahUKEwjdteaNuLz2AhUDx4UKHYSnCr0QFnoECBAQAQ&usg=AOvVaw2iw5axUK54DX297lcXRcmC *He who has truth at his heart need never fear the want of persuasion on his tongue. -**John Ruskin* https://www.wow4u.com/john-ruskin/ What wonderful words John quotes there! This made me remember an incident that happened when I was little. My mum was a strict disciplinarian and she would stop at nothing to discipline her children. She gave a specific order to I and my sister not to go out ( because she doesn't want us to get influenced by the corrupting neighborhood and also protect us to rampaging kidnappers). I have always observed this (and I think that's what shapen me to become an introvert). One day, a friend of mine from the next house called me to join him in doing some stunts at the front of his house. I couldn't rejected it 'cos I was (and still is) a lover of stunts. Without hesitation I ran out of the house, straight into his compound and started performing all sort of stunts I could do. Then trying to do a no-hand backflip with a double twist in the air, I landed on my wrist and the excruciating pain was enough to send me home. On getting home, I couldn't tell my sister what happened fearing she might expose me, so I quietly groaning and try to straighten the wrist by placing a stick on top and one below the wrist then tie it with a rope. I guess my biology class paid off 😄 When my sister saw it, she asked what the sticks are for and all I could say was "I am Spiderman!"😂🤣 I started do a the Spiderman's stuff just to convince her. She just stood at a point and looked at me for sometime before hissing and walked away. I really don't think she was convinced rather I think she left because she was tired of my madness. Phew! I won that round I said to myself. Then from a distance I could hear the TV station announcing the 3 o'clock news. I was destabilized because I knew my mom was going to be home any moment from then as she closes from work at 4 and will take her around 5 to 5:30 to reach home. You should have seen the various wishes crossing my mind, thank God wishes are not horses as @Aimure as written. At one point I wished I was doctor strange, at another I wished I was Naruto yet at another I wished I was a werewolf so I can heal quickly. While I was still in my fantasy world trying to see which character will solve my case the most, I heard my sister shouted 'welcome ma'. Lo and behold, my Nemesis had arrived. I quickly removed the sticks and rope and dumped them at one corner and ran to meet my mom. I greeted her and to add to my problem, she was carrying heavy loads of foodstuff. I didn't know what to do. My mom had to shout at me for me to regain posture and try to collect the bags from her. I screamed in pain when the bag landed on my hand. My mom asked what the problem was and I quickly cooked up a nice lie to cover up. You see, our parents most times, know what is going on but they would prefer you tell them yourself. My mom kept quite and entered. A Few minutes to that time, shw went to the kitchen and called me to come help her cut some vegetables, I wanted blatantly say no, but I knew that would incure beating of the highest order. So I quietly went over to the tray sluggishly picked some vegetable leaves and tried to cut them. I was in so much pain. Meanwhile, my mom had stopped what she was doing and was just looking at me. She asked me again "what happened to you?" Forgetting what I had told her before, I hesitated a bit then cooked up another story. She laughed and clapped her hands. Then with a sudden yet well organised slap she asked me what happened to my hand. The force and speed with which I confess my sins was surprising and overwhelming even for me.

It was later, I got to know that a neighbor had actually told her all that happened (all those lousy neighbors ehh) and she had replied with 'well, a child will always be a child. It's okay if it is the next door neighbors they play with'. I was like so I could have prevented all the slaps and bearing if I had told the truth from the beginning. Anyways, that's my own story. Though not every event concerning saying the truth will attract a slap or a beating, it might even be rejection by friends and family or worse being labelled a witch or bad person all because you say the truth, just remember what John Ruskin said **'*****He who has truth at his heart need never fear the want of persuasion on his tongue.'*** Take on the nature of truth and become freed. ***To be continued...***

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