Integrity

It's a complicated idea. It is multifaceted and applicable in a variety of subjects: intelligence, morality, environmental, personal, cultural, artistic. Online, I found a site that reminds us: "The word "integrity" stems from the Latin adjective integer (whole, complete). In this context, integrity is the inner sense of "wholeness" deriving from qualities such as honesty and consistency of character. As such, one may judge that others 'have integrity' to the extent that they act according to the values, beliefs and principles they claim to hold."

Ben Franklin's virtues were his daily checklist. He decided, each evening, how "well" he had lived that day by checking off the following boxes:

1. Temperance: Eat not to Dullness. Drink not to Elevation.
2. Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling Conversation.
3. Order: Let all your Things have their Places. Let each Part of your Business have its Time.
4. Resolution: Resolve to perform what you ought. Perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality: Make no Expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e. Waste nothing.
6. Industry: Lose no Time. Be always employed in something useful. Cut off all unnecessary Actions.
7. Sincerity: Use no hurtful Deceit. Think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice: Wrong none, by doing Injuries or omitting the Benefits that are your Duty.
9. Moderation: Avoid Extremes. Forbear resenting Injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness: Tolerate no Uncleanness in Body, Clothes or Habitation.
11. Tranquility: Be not disturbed at Trifles, or at Accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity: Rarely use Venery but for Health or Offspring; Never to Dullness, Weakness, or the Injury of your own or another's Peace or Reputation.
13. Humility: Imitate Jesus and Socrates

I've never thought of this before. "At the opposite ends of the moral spectrum are holiness and multiplicity. This pairing of polar opposites may seem odd at first, but it is solidly biblical. Holiness is so named because it represents wholeness or unity of personality. God is eminently holy. . .God, who is “the fullness of Being and of every perfection” (Catechism, no. 213), has the character of simplicity. For St. Augustine, “God is truly and absolutely simple.” Multiplicity is fragmentation, fractionalization, dispersion, dividedness." You know the phrase, "going to pieces?" Well, there you go.

This is a harder paragraph, but worth the thinking: "Because our unity of personality demands the integration of its parts, there is always the possibility that we can break up (“dis-integrate”) into discordant pieces. But what are these parts that must be integrated if the person is to be whole? There are many lines along which personality can be unified. There is the integrity between word and deed, friendship and fidelity, private life and public life, mind and body, head and heart." (http://catholiceducation.org/articles/religion/re0352.html) The italics are mine for emphasis.

It is my desire to have integrity, to possess it, to (as my Bible study friend says) CLAIM it! As I'm typing this, I can think of times and crossroads in my life where I have failed to be a person of integrity, where my actions did not unify my behavior to my beliefs, whereby I felt fragmented and disintegrated. I do not want to be like this, and I don't want people to see me this way. I want to be a woman of my word. If we are "as good as our word," I want to be dependable, good and honorable. I want to try to say "no" to things I cannot do, and yes to things I can. I want to mean what I say (not necessarily say what I mean!). I want to make friends with people who strive to act this way, too. I've recently experienced something that taught me email and texting are very, very, VERY easy and comfortable modes of shirking and backing out. How clever it was of someone to invent ways to "communicate" with people without ever having to talk to them! I just experienced, in mass proportion, people being untrue to their word, fragmented and disgenuine. It hurt me, it was unkind, rude and incredibly convenient for everyone involved. . .but me. It was not virtuous at all, and it proved a big wake up call to me! I behave this way sometimes, and I am going to try, very hard, to avoid this at all costs. No one called. . .I'm guessing no one could actually communicate with me in such a personal way! They all dropped like flies as the day pressed on--lots of apologies and excuses and explanations, but in the end, the message was still the same from everyone "I'm not going to do what I told you I would. I'm going to leave you out to dry while I go on with my more important plans." 

This is my promise, oh Dogwood Trail and Cosmic Power! I promise to try to be cognizant of my agreements, to be sensitive to making them and be a person of integrity. I promise to try to be the best person, the most whole person I can be, with the help of the Holy Spirit and good sleep. I promise to try to be a woman of my word and a person who can be trusted, depended on and admired. 

I'm printing out ol' Ben's virtues and taping them to my mirror.