Integrity in All Things: Habits, Character, and a Flower Pot

During a walk, I noticed something unsettling. Two tall teenagers were heading in my direction when I decided to speak up.

“Can I talk with you for a minute?”

They stopped and listened.

“I saw you walk by the flower pot in front of that house down there and knock it over. I was surprised to see that you didn't pick it back up but kept walking.”

“Yeah. I was thinking about it,” one of the boys admitted.

“Well, humor me while I give you a little life lesson?” I asked.

The boys shifted their stances and nodded.

Whew. I was prepared for some pushback, but they were listening.

Though I didn’t do so by name, I quoted American sociologist and author Martha Beck to the boys:

“How you do anything is how you do everything.”

And I spoke to them about how it's simpler to keep a good habit than to break a bad one. And that if you can take care of all the little things to the best of your ability, it will be easier to take care of the big things going forward when the pressure is on.

I also cited American college basketball coach John Wooden:

“The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”

I need these reminders myself. For example, when I don't put my car blinker on because no other cars are around, I tell myself to do it anyway. Bad habits can be a slippery slope.

And when I'm dining outdoors and a few paper napkins blow off the table, for another example, I tell myself that those napkins are my responsibility.

To get back to the boys, I asked what they were thinking.

"I think we’ll go fix the flower pot."

They turned around, walked back down the road, and turned the flower pot right-side up.

When I passed them again as we were walking toward one another once more, I stopped and asked them how they felt now.

“Better,” one replied.

“Good,” the other said.

“And you're worth feeling better and good. Remember that. Your integrity is everything.”

They nodded and smiled and continued on their way.

And I nodded and smiled, making the world a better place, one flower pot at a time.

Photo by Thorsten Frenzel on Pixabay.

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