Pondering on Liars

As I sit at my desk this morning, waiting for the mandatory IT security set ups to work its magic on my office computer, I can't help but ponder at my personal experience yesterday.

I was very fortunate that my father had served in the Indonesia Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a diplomat some years back, so during my growing years I had already travelled the world. 

There was a period in dad's professional career where he was posted in Yugoslavia, with an attachment to Greece. At the time, due to the limited schooling options, I was sent to the Netherlands to go to the Sekolah Indonesia Netherland (SIN) for a while. Then moved to Germany to attend Bonn American High School (BAHS) and graduate from my tertiary education. 

So during the summer holidays, I was so lucky to enjoy Belgrade and Athens. I would travel on train alone with my Eurorail student pass from Germany, through the Czech Republic, weaving by Slovenia and Croatia, enjoying the mountain views of Austria, before being embraced by my mother in Belgrade.  It was the 80's, I was a teenager and it was a very special time.

Recently, thanks to Facebook and Blackberry, some of us from the Indonesian Community and the Sekolah Indonesia Beograd (SIB) Belgrade were able to reconnect. Following much laughter and reminiscence, a small number of us made the suggestion to have a reunion.  It was a simple idea; to get together and extend the cheerie laughs.

However, for me personally...I was surprised to see that some people immediately saw this as a business project. Not that it's wrong or anything.  To me that just means it has a different purpose; a twist in the simple act of getting together with friends. I mean, if you see this as a profitable opportunity: Congratulations.  But I don't want to be a part of your party then... I don't want to be related to you as you make other people work, so that you can make a buck, have free food and claim the glory of this being "your" successful project.

Then of course comes the outpour of justifications, i.e. that I'm doing this for the unity of the group, the benefit of all, it's a non-profitable project bla bla bla...Mmm, ok...if you want me to buy your lie, how come out of all this you haven't mentioned the actual date of the reunion? how come it's not in your schedule?

See that's what makes me ponder about liars.  Liars think they're so smart because they have wrapped the lie as a strategy, believing that they're in control of all the facts - have made the extreme efforts to hide it - they believe that people won't know; that people won't see.  And that's where they fall.  By believing they control the facts, they believe that they're smarter and unconsciously treat other people as being stupid.  Well, here's the thing...SURPRISE!!! we're not stupid and we see very clearly what you are doing. 

Tell me this...if you want the money (and don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with wanting money) why don't you just do it professionally?  As a project, make it an event proposal to the country client. Then if you're really great, they will pick you regardless of any other matter, right? But don't piggy back on someone else's access to facilities and good cause. You're tinting the colorfull reunion with your murky shade.  It actually leaves a stink; meaning you stink dear...Go take a shower and get all that smelly dirt off.

If you need a professional business proposal guideline and don't have the book yet, please google.  At least, they can give that to you for free and will even go the extra mile to put up with your lies.