Positive Talk
Trust
By
Jul 3, 2008 - 9:07:22 AM

Ethics trainer Frank Navran said, “Trust is the residue of promises fulfilled.” I have never seen a better or more succinct definition of the word “trust.” Without trust, our lives would be a perpetual jungle of fears and we would be unable to act in our daily life. Just think how it would be to drive down the road if you could not trust that the other cars would stay in their lanes. Okay, so some drivers do change lanes without signaling but because most do not cause us a problem, we trust all of them to be careful. Every aspect of our lives requires trust. Few of us get paid in advance for our labors. Most of us do not have our own wells and we must trust municipal water supplies. We send our children to school and entrust them to veritable strangers. Who is the person driving the bus and the substitute teaching the class? Again the answer for the trust we have is that in the past, all has been well. Our water supply has been safe and dependable and our children have prospered in the schools. Promises have been kept and trust has been built.

Sometimes we have to trust even when promises have not been kept or even yet made. Graham Greene, British novelist, noted, “It is impossible to go through life without trust; that is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself.” However, another British proverb modifies Mr. Green’s thought by saying, “It is an equal failing to trust everybody and to trust nobody.” So maybe we must trust, but trust based on past experience and current need.

There once was a frog who was a trusting kind of fellow, and one day a scorpion asked him for a ride across a river. The frog said, “No, no, if I let you on my back, you will sting me and I will die.” The scorpion replied, “It will be alright and I will not sting you. Just go far enough from the bank that I must jump with all of my effort to get to you and stop just at my maximum jumping range from the other shore. If I were to sting you at any time, I would not have enough energy to get to the shore and I would die also.” This made sense to the frog who, wanting to be a good guy, agreed to ferry the scorpion over the water. About halfway across the river, the scorpion stung the frog and as they began to sink, the frog said, “Why did you sting me? You will die also.” The scorpion replied, “It is in my nature; I can do no other.” Our frog needed to be loved and appreciated and was willing to overlook the scorpion’s past record. We all need something and often we take chances on people who have poor track records in the trust department. But when we do and they fail us, do not lay all the blame on them as we knew they found trust a heavy burden and to be worthy of it was not within their nature.

“At the bottom of the heart of every human being from infancy to the tomb, there is something that goes on indomitably expecting, in the teeth of all experience of crimes committed, suffered, and witnessed, that good and not evil will be done to him. It is this above all that is sacred in every human being.” Or at least that is what French philosopher Simone Weil wrote. I agree with Weil; it is better to trust and be stung every once in a while than to live a life in constant fear of my fellow man. How sad it would be to have to be forever on guard for fear that someone will not live up to my expectations.

Never give up trusting for cynicism. These words of an anonymous poet ring true to me, “I’ve trusted many a friend who failed, and left me to weep alone. But I’ve found enough of my friends true-blue, to make me keep on trusting, too.” There will be scorpions but they will be few, so you keep on trusting, too.

Hodges Hosts Television Program
Bill Hodges also hosts an interview-format television program, which has been renamed “Spotlight On Tampa Bay.” It airs Mondays at 8 p.m., Bright House cable channel 950 and Verizon cable channel 30. His guests for July 7 and 21 will be State Attorney for Hillsborough’s 13th judicial district, Mark Ober, who will give us a glimpse into the workings of the State Attorney’s office. This program will be repeated on Wednesday, July 9 and 23, at 7:30 p.m. on Bright House channel 949.
Appearing on Monday, July 14 and 28, is State Representative Betty Reed. Representative Reed, a Democrat, will give us an insight into the happenings during the last session of the Florida State Legislature from a minority party viewpoint. The program will be repeated at Wednesday, July 16 and July30, at 7:30 p.m. on Bright House channel 949.
It should be noted that Bright House subscribers who cannot get the higher channels can get—at no installation fee and a monthly one dollar fee—a box to allow access to the upper level government and educational channels. Call Bright House for details on the rental. If you are unhappy about having to pay extra to see your government in action, complain to your state representatives and the Hillsborough BOCC which have either caused this situation or been complicit in allowing it to continue.






© Copyright 2008 by The Observer News Publications and M&M Printing