Words I found on a scrap of paper in my pocket.

Thought for the Day

It had been in the pocket of an old suit I couldn’t wear anymore and had pretty much forgotten about it. You could tell with a quick glance it was not what was trending in men’s clothing today. It was a traditional style that would never be old to me. I tend to stay with clothing that doesn’t get caught in traffic. It is meant to be the standard by which everything new is measured.

 I had gone to a wedding. While sitting and waiting for the nuptials to begin I thought of how beautiful weddings are. How beautiful the brides and handsome the grooms are and how unprepared they are for what’s about to become a new life style for them. And then I thought about Boy Scouts. I loved scouting. I learned so much about life from scouting. And that takes me back to the paper in the pocket of that old suit.

The paper was obviously torn from another piece of paper as it had printing on one side and by my hand on the other were these words: A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent. It was the Scout Law. I had memorized it in the sixth grade when I joined the scouts. No, the suit wasn’t that old.

I remember now why I wrote it down, The Scout Law. I wrote it down because I thought the only promise that needs to be kept in a marriage or any other relationship is to treat each other with the same respect that is promised in the Scout Law.

Confucius said, the essence of knowledge is having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.

©Herb Ratliff, October 5, 2012, All Rights Reserved