The Value in A Good Name
Dancing Elephant Press Prompt Week of 34 of 52 A Good Name
You covered all his wrong and incompetent actions, choices, and decisions with his parents’ good name.
I think a good name is one of the most valuable gifts a parent can leave to their children. — Annelise Lords
Your prompt is to write something about the value and importance of preserving and maintaining a good name. Whether it’s yours or what was left to you. Don’t cover that good name with pain or dishonesty. Don’t take it for granted or fake it either. Write the TRUTH!
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Dancing Elephant Press Prompt 34 0f 52 A Good Name
I pray lessons are learned from my story below.
“Why?” Vera demands from her husband. “Vince damages our property. Is always late with his rent and doesn’t clean up after himself.”
“His parents are good people,” Paul defends.
“He is always late for work. Does a sloppy job that the other workers must redo,” Vera informs.
“I am doing this for his parents,” Paul notified.
“Our customers are complaining about the jobs he does for them,” she reports. “They are threatening to go to our competitors!”
“His parents are good people,” her husband repeats, as his memory shot to the many times, they were there for him.
“He is destroying our property and ruining our business plus our reputation!” Vera nails into her husband’s head.
“I already told you,” Paul explains. “I am not doing this for him. I am doing it for his parents’ good name.
“They are dead!” Vera reminds. “And has been for the past ten years.”
“I am doing it for them. Not for him,” Paul continues his excuses.
“At what cost?”
“You don’t understand,” Paul said in frustration.
“Make me!” Vera demands.
“That’s how life is. His parents were good to us. They are dead, so we are good to their child,” Paul attempts an explanation.
“He isn’t a child. Don’t you think he should start living off his good name instead of his parents. Who are dead?” Vera stressed.
Paul gave her a blank stare. She walked out of the office in frustration.
One week later a fire destroyed one of the homes Vince was sent to work on, seriously injuring a five-year-old boy after going into the kitchen to get bottled water. Thank God his mother was in the garage. The fire was contained only to the kitchen.
“I am sorry Vera,” Steven Manor apologized, then explained. “But our reports shows that the fire started because the gas hose wasn’t properly attached to the line behind the stove in the kitchen. Who was sent to their house?”
“Vince Miller?”
“That fool!” explodes from Steven’s mouth. “I warned Paul to let him go three years ago. I hope you have insurance. Because a lawsuit is being filed against you, your husband and your company for negligence!”
Something ripped into Vera’s heart sending pain through her body, fighting pain and regret, Vera’s pain cried, “he didn’t deliver the insurance renewal package a month ago as he was instructed. I found out last week and delivered it myself.”
“Then you are covered in one area. Your premium will increase and if the Wilson’s refused to settle or be reasonable, then you and Paul could lose everything. He has successfully ruined your reputation,” Steven Manor reports.
“I should have listened to both of you,” Paul’s voice interjects from behind Fire Chief and former army Lieutenant and buddy Steven Manor.
“I warned you three years ago to let that disaster go before it explodes and harms someone,” Steven reminds him.
“His parents are good people,” Paul still latched onto his action.
“So, he is using their good name to ruin you, your life and business with your permission?” Steven states.
Paul and Vera’s eyes clash and Steven shares, “a good name is a gift, but it can also be a burden. Especially for the ones who didn’t earn it. You should have let him earn a good name for himself!”
“I warned you to let him earn his own good name,” Vera shoved him back into the many fights they have about allowing Vince to stand on his own.
Battling pride, ego, and tears, Paul explains, again, “I just wanted to help him and return the good his parents gave me.”
“That’s not the way to do it friend,” Steven advised.
“What else could I have done?” Paul questioned.
“You covered all his wrongs and incompetent actions, choices, and decisions with his parents’ good name. That has denied him the ability to learn from his mistakes and create a good name for himself,” Steven enlightened.
“I tried to let him see that Vince was taking advantage of the situation,” Vera pushed in.
“How could I have known that this would happen?”
“Really!” Vera cried out, bolting up from behind her desk. “For eight years, his actions have been creating conflicts between us and our business. Plus, the cost of his incompetence!”
Steven raised his hands, and Vera eased back.
“When we allow immature and irresponsible humans to thrive on someone’s good name, they will destroy it along with the channel it is flowing from.” Turning directly to face Paul, he said, “meaning you. Your good name is tarnished, and you will have to fight and pay a high price to retain it.”
The truth and common sense doubled Vera’s pain and she retaliated, “his parents earned their good name. He should too, because that’s the only way it can become anything of value to him and his generation.”
Slumping into the sofa to the left, the pain in Paul's heart cried out, “All I wanted to do was to return the good I got!”
Solomon said, ‘a good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of one’s death, than the day of one’s birth.’
All humans have lived on someone’s good name. Don’t tarnish it!
My husband and I created a good name that will help to transition our children into a better world. But we also educate them to earn a good name for themselves creating a tradition of kindness and love.
This piece is real. I had someone in my life who was one-of-a-kind. I allow her daughter to destroy her good name. I covered all of the wrongs she did with her mother’s good name until it cost me our friendship and more.
Create a good name for yourself, then educate your children on its value and how to do the same to keep kindness flowing.
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