No one can bear liars, but I forgive them because they are either not brave enough or strong enough to deal with the consequences of the truth. But what about those who make excuses for their actions? "I did it because so and so made me do so" or "I did it, but I was suffering from blah, blah". Is it excusable? For me, excusers are worse than those who lie. The liars do it for a reason, either to protect themselves or to protect others. The ones who make excuses are deluding themselves, and although appearing to accept responsibility are placing the blame on the shoulders of something or someone else.
This morning, as Bart was brushing his teeth, he was as usual fiddling around with the loo roll. He'd decided to unravel the roll and re roll it. I have no idea why nor does he, but he thought it would be a good idea. However, during the process he dropped the whole lot down the toilet, but instead of fishing it out, he flushed the toilet to get rid of the evidence. Well, our plumbing is not the most efficient being an aged 1920's with little updating made apart from the usual lick and a spit. Anyway, as it appeared that the roll was not flushing itself away but appearing to grow larger, Bart decided to flush again. The toilet bowl overflowed and the first I knew of the incident was a yelp from Mimi who cried "Mummy, someone is spitting at me!" There through the light fitting was drip, drip, drip onto Mimi's head. I rushed upstairs but the bathroom door was locked (why do they need to lock the door when they are doing something as innocent as brushing teeth?).
"Bart, what are you doing" I shouted through the door "Open this door now!"
"Nothing, and I can't open the door"
"Why can't you open the door"
"Because I'm on the loo, and I can't reach the door!" he called sounding very calm
"Bart, there is water coming through the ceiling! Open this door now!"
I could hear him splashing through the water to the door, and the door opened. Bart looked a bit sheepish.
"For gods sake...what have you done?" I screamed.
"Nothing! I didn't do nothing" Clue..double negative makes a positive so apart from the actual evidence he'd admitted guilt in my eyes already.
"Where did this water come from then? Did it just appear?
"It wasn't me, it was the toilet...it just overflowed...somehow..I don't know how"
I was tempted to make him clear it up himself, but I knew that it would take him all day, and I didn't have time for that, plus I didn't want the ceiling coming down on Mimi while she was eating her breakfast.
"Right, get out. Get out and get dressed." I shouted as I flung the laundry basket over the floor, then pulled out all the bath towels and laid them over the laundry to mop up the water.
In the car, I questioned Bart again. "What happened?"
"I don't know, mummy...water just started coming over the top of the toilet."
"So...was it a huge poo? Or did you stuff something down there? If you don't tell me the truth you're going to hell in a basket" I have no idea why I said this, but it sounds pretty dramatic!
"It just fell out of my hand.."
"What did?"
"The toilet roll..Finn was banging on the door, and he made me drop it down the toilet."
At this point Finn calmly looked at his older brother and said
"Don't blame me. I wasn't even in the same room...I will not take responsibility for this"
It was then I realised that excusers annoy me more than liars. I will never trust liars, but excusers will always have an answer for their bad behaviour. Bart now needs to understand that there are still consequences for his actions (not for the actual incident, but for blaming his brother and trying t0 wriggle out of it!)...I'm going to make him pick up the dog poo in the garden...once I've sorted out the electrics, the wet floor and the extra washing!!
This morning, as Bart was brushing his teeth, he was as usual fiddling around with the loo roll. He'd decided to unravel the roll and re roll it. I have no idea why nor does he, but he thought it would be a good idea. However, during the process he dropped the whole lot down the toilet, but instead of fishing it out, he flushed the toilet to get rid of the evidence. Well, our plumbing is not the most efficient being an aged 1920's with little updating made apart from the usual lick and a spit. Anyway, as it appeared that the roll was not flushing itself away but appearing to grow larger, Bart decided to flush again. The toilet bowl overflowed and the first I knew of the incident was a yelp from Mimi who cried "Mummy, someone is spitting at me!" There through the light fitting was drip, drip, drip onto Mimi's head. I rushed upstairs but the bathroom door was locked (why do they need to lock the door when they are doing something as innocent as brushing teeth?).
"Bart, what are you doing" I shouted through the door "Open this door now!"
"Nothing, and I can't open the door"
"Why can't you open the door"
"Because I'm on the loo, and I can't reach the door!" he called sounding very calm
"Bart, there is water coming through the ceiling! Open this door now!"
I could hear him splashing through the water to the door, and the door opened. Bart looked a bit sheepish.
"For gods sake...what have you done?" I screamed.
"Nothing! I didn't do nothing" Clue..double negative makes a positive so apart from the actual evidence he'd admitted guilt in my eyes already.
"Where did this water come from then? Did it just appear?
"It wasn't me, it was the toilet...it just overflowed...somehow..I don't know how"
I was tempted to make him clear it up himself, but I knew that it would take him all day, and I didn't have time for that, plus I didn't want the ceiling coming down on Mimi while she was eating her breakfast.
"Right, get out. Get out and get dressed." I shouted as I flung the laundry basket over the floor, then pulled out all the bath towels and laid them over the laundry to mop up the water.
In the car, I questioned Bart again. "What happened?"
"I don't know, mummy...water just started coming over the top of the toilet."
"So...was it a huge poo? Or did you stuff something down there? If you don't tell me the truth you're going to hell in a basket" I have no idea why I said this, but it sounds pretty dramatic!
"It just fell out of my hand.."
"What did?"
"The toilet roll..Finn was banging on the door, and he made me drop it down the toilet."
At this point Finn calmly looked at his older brother and said
"Don't blame me. I wasn't even in the same room...I will not take responsibility for this"
It was then I realised that excusers annoy me more than liars. I will never trust liars, but excusers will always have an answer for their bad behaviour. Bart now needs to understand that there are still consequences for his actions (not for the actual incident, but for blaming his brother and trying t0 wriggle out of it!)...I'm going to make him pick up the dog poo in the garden...once I've sorted out the electrics, the wet floor and the extra washing!!
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