I wished I hadn't overhead a young guy practicing his lying during two phone calls on the bus, but seated next to him it was all I could do to not tear the phone out of his hand and save his poor mother years of heartbreak and pain.
This was on Thursday February 9th, 2012, but I have never forgotten how his lying practice was developing into something he would unfortunately only improve as time went on.
The first call was brief. It was almost 2p.m. The young man/boy was calling a potential employer to quickly tell them that he would not be able to go to his scheduled appointment with them because, 'Something really important came up'. He asked if he could reschedule for the same time the next afternoon. The potential employer agreed.
The second call was to his obviously very concerned mother or grandmother and was very long. It also gave him many, many opportunities to tell her even a small truth in between so very many lies, but he kept piling more and more on.
His lies to her were so frequent and became so gratuitous and embellished that I could barely restrain myself from telling his mother the truth in a loud enough voice for her to hear me. Underlying my emotional response was great sadness. I was more offended though at how he added more and more lies to her obviously genuine concern for his well being.
To this day I wish I had said something instead of moving away because I didn't want to hear any more. I don't know how, but I might have spared her years of pain and heartbreak as he continued to perfect his technique at her expense, while draining her hopes and probably needing financial sacrifices from her as well.
Maybe I am wrong, and he actually went to interview the following day, with the updated resume he laboured over for the rest of that Thursday and got the job. However, I doubt it.
Perhaps initially he had begun by telling a small lie to cover a small mistake, or excuse for coming home late or having forgotten something. Later it might have been to avoid a reprimand or punishment.
Now in High School, although he is still a young Liar, he was already finding lying easier than telling the truth. He lied so many times in this one conversation that I could tell that he had often done it before and undoubtedly would do it again. With time he will become so good at this,
that one lie will roll smoothly after another.
'Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire' goes the chant. The Liar gives those around him, one lie after another, compounded with more lies being added to explain or support previous lies.
He may think he is smarter than others because initially they believe or seem to believe his lies and he feels his lies worked.
Ultimately, however, The Liar will tell lies even when there is no need for it. He will lie, not to keep someone's feelings from being hurt as he once might have. Nor will he lie to spare the feelings of people who care for him. He will eventually habitually lie because, it will have become how he now lives his life.
I believe one day The Liar will lie because that is what he does, habitually, naturally and even unconsciously. By that time, it is likely that everyone around him for any length of time, not being quite as stupid as he thinks they are, will know him for what he is. They will see him, and hear him but they will ignore The Liar and his lies. Experience will have shown them that The Liar is a Liar and that he lies even when the truth would make more sense to someone more honest.
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