A Pledge of Honesty

These beginnings are always somewhat awkward, aren't they? You don't know me, and I don't know you, and all I can do for now is put these words out there and hope to eventually build a following, some understanding, and perhaps even friendship. That will only happen if you visit this blog on a regular basis, and that won't happen unless I offer you something you deem worthwhile. So let me begin: I pledge you honesty. Now if that's not enough, then I'm afraid we're already off to a bad start, because there's really nothing of greater value I can offer. So please, before you go away, think again about what honesty should mean to you. If you're a mediator, my intended audience, maybe the Thesaurus (yes, I'm an English teacher too) might help: Honesty = integrity, uprightness, honorableness, honor, morality, morals, ethics, principles, righteousness, right-mindedness, virtue, goodness, probity, high-mindedness,fairness, incorruptibility, truthfulness, trustworthiness, reliability, dependability, rectitude. Wow! What more could you ask of anyone?

Now I promised in my last (first) posting that I would talk about what it takes to be a mediator, and here is my answer: Honesty, and all that's implied therein. By ADR case count I'm still closer to novice than pro, but since beginning my studies in 2001, I have firmly believed mediation is a truly noble profession, and must be undertaken with the utmost care, compassion and integrity. Those who think I might be over-estimating the value of honesty should perhaps stick to the legal profession (oops).