I dislike liars. I don't like catching lies either. It's an awkward feeling, isn't it...when you know someone is lying. All you can do is half-smile, cringe when no one is watching, and file that incident in the back of your brain.
Catching someone in a lie never goes away. Like a scar it's there forever. Time may help it fade, but the lie will always be there, on the shelf, waiting to be picked up again.
There are big lies, medium lies, and tiny white lies. But it's still all wrong, and a pain in the ass to keep track of. It's like holding onto a child's hand in a very busy supermarket.
Let go, and in time it's bound to pitch a scream and become the center of attention.
I often wonder why lying is so easy to some people. Like having milk with cereal. It just slips off and on the tongue effortlessly. How can you sleep deep with all that baggage?
I guess I'm bringing this up because I've recently been surrounded by many liars. My ears burn when listening to their piercing words. The lies aren't so much against me, but it's just being in the presence of a lie. I feel like an unwilling accomplice, and sometimes these liars expect you to lie for them - keep the lie alive to save face, save a reputation, to save money.
But I suck at lying. So never ask.
See, from the time I was a wee one, living free, skipping and jumping in puddles. Staring for hours at the clouds, afraid to look down the street, convinced that the woman at the end of the block was a witch, and that my neighbours dog, my bodyguard, which he was, would save me if she ever tired to grab me, which hasn't happened yet - Yes, a fabricated lie, well, the witch part. I shared this story with many people. I never knew it was a lie. Never knew it was bad. But what do you know at 6. A lot and nothing at the same time. Pretty much like now.
But I think I did lie. A lot. I was left alone a lot. Left to wander, discover. Free to speak to anyone. Strangers were never "strangers" to me. I was a lucky kid. But I did lie. I often recall people saying to me, "Annie, it's not good to lie like that!".
I have no clue what I was saying. Maybe storytelling? It came naturally to me. Than again, perhaps, this is how writers begin. But that soon came to a stop. The lying part.
See, from the time I was a child, the one story that made a clear impact on my life, even till this day is:
Never Cry Wolf.
A timeless tale about lies, laughs, truth and a satisfied stomach.
And I do retreat, mindfully walking away from those who lie habitually. Cause the last thing I want to do is call you out. And I will. As we all have the right to.
