Photo by Angela Kirk

One night while Doc and I were watching the nightly news, I was surprised when Doc exclaimed in a loud disgusted voice ” It’s too bad that liar’s pants don’t actually catch on fire, then we would all know who was being dishonest!” I lifted my head up off of her lap and looked her in the face. She was mad. I have to admit the thought of dishonest people running around with their pants in flames, made me giggle, but I didn’t let Doc know, not with the mood she was in.

When Doc counsel’s her patient’s she often talks about the importance of honesty in recovery. The disease of addiction is filled with deceit, keeping those in the grips of it hiding in the dark. Slowly as people heal, they must form a new relationship with the truth. They soon find out that all those lies were just a burden anyway.

Sadly, there are quite a few people in this world that maintain a loose relationship with the truth. They rationalize their actions, blame others, or will even try to convince you that they are being victimized because you don’t understand them or their message. I just roll my eyes when I hear human’s use those excuses because I know they are trying to divert you from confronting them. Even worse, they think you are naive enough to believe their con. What a bunch of hooey. I am only a dog, but I know the difference between the truth and a lie.

The first time Doc caught me lying, I was a mere pup. While she was out shopping one day I got bored and starting chewing on one of her shoes. I just meant to chew on a small corner and stop, but before I was done I had chewed a big hole in it. Knowing I was about to get in trouble, I drug the shoe out on the porch and when Doc found it, I blamed the whole thing on the backyard squirrel. When Doc told me she was going to trap the squirrel and release it in the country where it would never see it’s family again, I became horrified and told on myself. Of course their were consequences, but I learned my lesson.

I read an anonymous quote recently that sums it all up. “One lie is enough to question all truths.”