Your Word Your Honor?

Is your word your honor or is this outdated? I know in the old days, business was conducted based on the vendor and buyer’s word. Their word and a handshake sealed a transaction. There was no need for a written contract.

These days, there are scams everywhere and one would be most foolish to do deals without any black and white terms and conditions.

On the personal side, do you stick by your word? Do you honor a promise made? Or do you subscribe to “Promises are made to be broken”? When you say that you will meet up, say for a round of golf, early in the morning, do you show up way before the appointed time or do you leave your friend to wait and wait until she realizes that you’re a no show?

I was once in such a situation but fortunately another friend happened to come by so I did have my round although I had been left in the lurch earlier. It was embarrassing to have to say that your partner didn’t show up but that reflected badly on her. It was a gross breach of etiquette. Needless to say, I never made another appointment with her.

With children, your word, once given, must be kept at all costs or they will never trust you again. Just because they are children, it doesn’t mean that they can be put off and disappointed.

If you’ve never been let down you will not understand the disappointment nor the bad feeling that you’ve been stood up. Children are very sensitive souls and more easily hurt than an adult who can just push the hurt to one side and forget about it. They can be damaged if let down once too often.

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