Time for some credit. I cannot do it without my colleagues!

Hello there!
How are you today? I hope you are well!

Today is the day that a pupil spontaneously told me he was very happy that I would probably be teaching him again after the summer break. This made me happier than this 13 year old can surmise!
Today is the day that a colleague took me to task about something I wrote. It made me reflect on colleagues in general and this one in particular. And I came to the conclusion that, as always, part of the problem was mine. Communication is a two-way street...

I started work at 17, and ever since my colleagues have played a huge part in my life. They've helped me through some very rough patches as well as have been the bane of my life in a couple of instances. On the whole, I have had nice ones and some really great ones. And I still keep in touch with quite a few of them, from way back as well as from recent jobs.

Not so very strange, when you realise that you spend 5 to 6 days a week, 8 hours a day with these people. In fact, I see more of my colleagues than of my husband!
But when you are the new duck on the farm, you have to try to find your little place in the pen, in the stable and near the feeder. And that grumpy old bull who seems so difficult to approach may turn out to be a big softie and that friendly seeming hen may be the one who pecks out your tail feathers while you sleep.
Finding all this out takes time.
And I am one of those silly women that has an inherent need for being in tune with her surroundings.
Being grown-up, I know that it's normal not to be friends with everyone around you. I secretly still would want to be though...How soppy can you get?

Now, what is the point of all of the above drivel?
That I am grateful  for the support of my colleagues. That I would like to support them in return. That I am convinced that a group of committed, honest colleagues can make or break (but I wish make) a company, or in my case, school.

Veracity - the 6th "ity"

I've come to the sixth in this series of 18 thought up by the Swami. And it is a tough one, in more ways than one.

When you swear in a court of law, in most countries you say something like: " I swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth".

But do you in real life? How many times a day do you enhance a story just this tiny bit, so that it is a little more glamorous, or exciting, or believable, or palatable?

Veracity is a seldom used word in ordinary conversations.  I've yet to meet the person who says: "And what's the veracity of that?" 

If you look it up in Wikipedia (and I have) there is no page for it; you get directed to the page for honesty instead, and this is only a couple of paragraphs long.

One of the nicest quotes I could find about veracity is by Margaret Mitchell, the lauded writer of Gone With the Wind (does anyone still read this in 2014?):

"The liar was the hottest to defend his veracity, the coward his courage, the ill-bred his gentlemanliness, and the cad his honor" 

I suppose it translates best as 'truthfulness'. To others, but also to yourself.

Quite a feat, to be true to yourself. True to your beliefs and convictions. Far easier to let yourself be swayed and persuaded by others. It makes life less strained. 

Be true, truthful and tell the truth.

Far easier to lie convincingly when they ask you if you have seen the fish.

Today we Dutchmen had the chance to vote in the European elections. I wonder how many of my countrymen and countrywomen stayed true to their beliefs.