Resurrecting an Old Post

I have been quite busy at work - and when I am not at work, Sean & I have been working on the hard wood floor in our humble abode.

I am just going to resurrect an old post for now...

... a new blog post shall follow this weekend:

Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Liars
Skybar suggested that I do a post that is meaningful. One that has a story to tell. A parable of sorts.
His suggestion is a great one.
I have been thinking lately of my supposed sixth sense. Usually, I am very good at sniffing out a fraudulent person. I have the knack to tell if a person is lying. If he/she is going to emotionally drain me and steal all of my positive energy.
In junior high, one girl that was quasi attached to our group was quite the liar. Her lies were pretty drastic and as such, she was transparent. You knew that she was lying. Of course she was not related to the Queen of Portugal. Of course she was not engaged to some boy from Madrid who died of cancer. Yah, yah, the scratches on her arm were scars from her suicide attempt the other night.
In high school, there was a guy who was a more subtle liar. He joined our grade 12 class as that cute looking British guy. He perfected a British accent. He knew a little bit about England. But, he knew nothing about the real England. I caught him in quite a few lies. It got to the point where I said to him, buddy, if you are British then I am African! Then I shouted "Down with Apartheid!"
Recently, I caught someone I know in a few steam blowers of a lie. I had an inkling that something just wasn't right with the person. But, instead of listening to my inner sixth sense that was screaming, "run away and hide, Canagal!", I believed this person's lies. Doozy sets of lies that could knock over the foundations of a friendship.
I decided to ignore the inconsistencies in the person's stories. However, it came to a point that everywhere I turned, the person was lying. Different undergrad majors were obtained. Countries visited increased. Occasions these countries were visited increased. Weird fucked up family stories that moulded and shape shifted faster then my brain could process the stories. Why did I get sucked in by the lies? Why did I give this person so many chances? Why did I never scream foul! Not true! Why oh why did I never raise my fist and shout with defiance "Down with Apartheid"?
Perhaps I want to believe that as we mature the need to pretend to be better or bigger than one actually is diminishes. Perhaps I could not believe that a poised person who exuded so much confidence would hide who they are in a web of lies and half - truths that were at times mentally disturbing.
So, dear children who have gathered around Auntie Canagal's chair, what is the moral of the story? Is there a moral for the story? Maybe you should decide and tell me what your thoughts are.
My suggestion box is open.
CG
posted by CanaGal at 17:17
9 Comments: trying2hide said... Wow. Now that is one sincerely interesting post there Canagal. Sadly there isn't much you can do, short of telling Santa to leave a lump of coal in the stocking rather than a real prize. This person is missing the true prize in life -- love and reality. Apparently big attention getting untruths are (sadly) better looking than the reflection in the mirror. I've known a few. Related to a few. I call them draggers. It sucks.
08 November, 2006 19:26 CanaGal said... u r right, dear friend, they are draggers. I hate the feeling that they have to lie to give them a pseudo edge of superiority. Or, worse, the one uppance that their lives give them. I.E.: "Oh, yah? You went to Hawaii every year as a kid? WELL!. *I* went to the Caribbean every year as a child!", those lies are horrible as well - almost mentally abusive. What do you think?
08 November, 2006 20:25 Jeff Skybar said... I loved the story. I was drawing mental cartoon pictures in my mind of "Down with Apartheid!" You could be well on your way to writing very thought provocative children's books! I mean if parents can't teach their children the value of not lying and embellishing stories, I guess it's up to the people that actually care.
09 November, 2006 10:39 CanaGal said... St Skybar, could you really and truly picture me as a writer of child books? Poor kids, there would be illustrations from Reid on how to buy the perfect bong!
09 November, 2006 12:40 The March Hare said... uhm, what's a bong?!?
09 November, 2006 15:11 CaptainFartlek said... Those who chronically lie, will in the end, be consciencely aware of their fate. That is, surrounded by loneliness. The only difference now, is they have become old, bitter and no one to wipe their crusty butt. What goes around will come around. Its the equilibrum of life.
10 November, 2006 08:32 trying2hide said... In America if you have enough money in the end - you can pay someone to wipe our crusty butt. infinately sad that is. Folk will lie for money.
12 November, 2006 14:01 The Experience said... It can certainly hurt when people aren't who you want them to be. People are who they are and you either love them as they are or you don't. Everyone has been through their share of "disappointments", false expectations projected upon others, but when it comes down to it it's only who we are that really matters. If you're honest with yourself and who you are then those who surround you will be the same. Until then, you can't count on anybody.
13 November, 2006 21:30 ThatDarnViking said... You can only judge people by their own stated principles and values, and of course their tantrums and meltdowns... if they're liars, it's just icing...