We often coax children by promising them things.
We hope they forget what we promised. Those promises were made in the belief that they will behave in a manner in which we had wanted them to behave.
Indeed, adults often promise kids something just to shoo them away. These are empty promises. Those who make them have no intention to keep them.
I often feel that adults do that too – to other adults.
A local publisher summoned me to her office to discuss book ideas and ended the meeting with “I’ll send you a proposal form.”
That was at least a year ago.
Nothing heard since the last meeting.
As an author of seven books – and the subject of a book – I don’t think I’m such a lousy writer that a publisher had to shoo me off with a promise she had no intention to keep, but that’s the way I felt about her.
“Let me send you a link to the site” or “I’ll send you the news clipping” or “I’ll send you a copy of the book” or “I don’t have my calling card with me but I’ll email you my details” or “We’re doing our planning now, once we’re done, we’ll contact you to schedule a series of training workshops” – very often such promises are never kept. Either people forget, or have no intention whatsoever to do what they promised or take their promises lightly.
I’m a simple man, if you say you will do something, please do it.
If you have no intention to dealing with me, just say it – you don’t even need to provide a reason, just say “At this moment, we won’t be doing this” and I’ll be happy rather than being kept in the dark, afraid to go to the toilet in case you call.
It’s all about integrity isn’t it?
But the word is lost on some.
They either don’t have the courage to tell you what the problem is in your face – they behave like nothing is wrong – or they just beat a hasty retreat and make themselves scarce in your life.
Worse, behind your back, they assassinate your character or go online to attack you while cloaking their real identities or while hiding behind some façade. Most are stupid enough not to realize that it is so easy to track them down.
But I bet these gutless, spineless wimps and space wasters will not hesitate to bang down your door at 3am in the morning if they should ever need help.
I know, I’ve met a few of them in my life.