To The Eagle:

I have observed that money owed and not repaid and obligations and/or agreements not honored all tend to destroy or lessen relationships and harm the one not fulfilling what they agreed to.

How does this happen? When a person places the value of money or goods over their given word, they are then less willing to communicate to the person who is the victim of their short-coming. The truth often gets distorted and in general relationships deteriorate and often end completely.

Why am I bothering to write this? Because of a recent experience, I wanted to point out that it is the person who does not repay money owed or deliver what was promised that ends up being hurt by this type of action. They might think it is good business to get out of the obligation without delivering what was promised but in fact it is themselves who are hurt in the long run.

Example: A person agrees to deliver a service. Then for whatever reason they do not do so. I am out whatever I had invested in the activity. However, the person who broke their word, did not provide the service, did not repay the money borrowed etc., may think they are ahead. They got something for nothing. The problem is that they have to live with knowing they cheated someone. They may think it does not matter, “Hey look I am money - goods ahead!” What the person does not or rarely sees is that for “unknown” reasons thereafter their life does not go as well. They get sick, get cancer, the wife/husband leaves, or things just do not seem to go well in their lives. Look no further than broken agreements, unpaid monies, services not delivered.

The good news is there is a solution! Look around and find any and every instance of the above and fix it. Deliver the service, repay the money, repair the broken agreement. Start doing this and one will start feeling better about self and life will start to improve. It takes some guts and courage but it is worth doing!

Ben Elkinton

Cathlamet