Consistent

Someone put a picture on Facebook recently, that spoke volumes to me.  In fact, it was not just the picture, but one comment I read that has stuck with me.
The picture looked genuine.  It showed someone who was obviously a high-powered executive, about to get into a car.  Before he did, the picture showed him shaking hands with a very scruffy looking fellow, that looked like a homeless person.
One of the comments said you never know who you will meet on the way down.  It was saying that we need to treat all well.
Stars rise and fall.  My star could be rising but it behoves me to remember in my work life it will fall.  Sure I may remain respected, and have my advice sought, but I will not be a active player forever.  That will fall to someone else.  It seems to be true for all.  It is incredibly hard to know and to remember but there comes a time for us all when others take our place.
Queensland won the state of origin seven years in a row.  There were children born who had never known anything but a Queensland victory.  Those days are past.  Federer was the number one tennis player.  He is not now, as those days have past.
I am not into blanket statements or taring all with the same brush.  We are all different.  As the Foxtel ad said there is bad in good people and good in bad people. My experience is, that high powered or high professional people sometimes do not treat others well.  They seem to live like they will be where they are forever.  The truth is they will not.
If I do not treat all well, then the best I can hope for is to be lonely and friendless.  At worst someone may seek revenge on me.  Certainly, while it is my day, treating others badly might be pleasurable to me, but as they say “his time will come.”  It seems to be a case of short term gain.  We are seeing heaps of it at the moment.  Things that were said and done 30 or more years ago, are coming to light.  The motive to reveal may be genuine, revenge or gain, but whatever it is, things come to light.
The desire to be consistent is one of the reasons I don’t lie. It is not that I am a goodie two shoes (though not lying seems to have nothing but advantages), I just don’t want to need to remember who I told what to.  If my story is always the same, then I won’t be caught out.
I knew one fella that owned up to being an habitual liar.  I had nothing but admiration for him, as that would be so hard to do.  An upshot was though, it called into question everything he had said.
I want to consistently treat others well – from the most high powered to the least. For my leaving work, a do was had off campus and I invited the head of the department who came.  In other areas of life I have friends who no one would give the time of day to.  It is probably just as well, as I never know who I will meet on the way down.