The newspaper story suggested that there was more to the accusations. One wanted facts that had times, places, and events. As I let my mind wander, I realized I knew somebody in the company. Did he know? If so, what had he done with his knowledge?
When you know something, what can and should you do with the information? Is there a simple answer the trumps all others?
With hindsight, there are many things I would do different. I often remember my motivations. Even with time, my motives are aligned with my values and priorities. I was aware of the importance of the moment. I understood that there were choices. I only knew what I knew. In what I knew rests the conundrum and my explanation.
As I look to the moment at hand, I find myself holding the following observations.
Hindsight is for learning not for guilt. If I can remember, reflect, and review with an open mind, then I have started on a path of learning. There is no point of punishing myself for something that is past. The question is for the moment at hand. What will I do now?
It is impossible to not know what one knows. Once you know something you are stuck with it. There is an obvious warning about snooping and prying into the lives of others. The one I often forget is that once I know something, especially about myself, I have the opportunity to do something with the knowledge.
Ignoring the obvious does not make it go away. It may be a cliché, yet the truth of what we know grows within us. By ignoring truth, I find that I create a shell within me to life. Paul called someone out on this; “I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn’t be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you’re so above it all that it doesn’t even faze you!” (1 Corinthians 5.1)
Today is about learning, growing, and acting.
