Truth: The quality or state of being true; that which is true in accordance with fact or reality.
From childhood on through to adulthood we are told to always tell the truth, and that lying is bad; in fact, we are reminded repeatedly until it is etched in our minds, branded like an initiation mark on our conscience. Even In a court of law one has to swear upon a bible to “tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” But somewhere along the way between growing up and cultural influences, while we may still hold on to those instilled morals that have been ingrained in us since kids, the truth gets lost, lost in the attempt to protect our dignity, our character, our reputations. So we learn instead to alter and hide parts of our truth when warranted, be it to camouflage reality, or to conceal an ugly past in order to escape a certain judgment that the truth carries with it, the kind of judgment others harbor once privy to the hardcore exactness of ones truth, suggesting we somehow failed to meet the unrealistic expectations placed upon us. So when one asks for the truth do they really want it, our truth, or just a version of it? If given our real truths, could those who claim to want it, handle it? Better yet, can we live with our own truths? It is because of this, that most of us modify our truths or create a whole new truth for the sake of those who would otherwise reject, judge, or convict us if they knew our unadulterated truths, sentencing us to the walk of shame because of it. In short, because of the negative effects that unveiling the truth brings, too often we consciously or unconsciously omit the parts of our truth that would otherwise shed a less than favorable light on us as human beings, breaking down those expectations and diminishing our character. Although it is often times hard, almost debilitating to except our personal truth, to the depths being enslaved by our truth, we have to make it our duty to not only acknowledge our truth, but own it and accept it for what it is. Our truth is who we are and what gives us character, and should never be altered or hidden to protect ourselves from the harsh judgment of others.
Tamikka Malloy
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