Jeopardy...

I'll take "Things that begin with the letter "R" for $1000 Alex."

"Ok, for $1000 - This takes a lifetime to build but only a second to destroy?"

"What is reputation?"

"Correct!"

Reputation is defined as the general estimation that the public has for a person.  Look, we've all heard it said before, "This person has a reputation for being (insert term here)!"  With that being said, I challenge you to insert a term you think most people would use when referring to you.  Remember I said most people, not the lady who gave you the two finger salute after SHE cut YOU off while driving!  Come on lady- my kids didn't need to see that...and how are you gonna take both hands of the wheel!?!

Continuing on... I was frantically attempting to get the kids out of the door one morning when I overheard my oldest son whisper to his brother "Keep me out of it and don't mention my name, ok?"  I then heard his brother agree with him.  What kind of pact was this, what agreement had been made between the two?  I was intrigued and I had to ask.  "Leave your name out of what?"  It was then that he explained the story of how the prior day his younger brother had gotten called out for talking at the Do Jo by an assistant.  His big brother, noticing she had made a mistake, saw fit to speak up to point out this mistake.  It seems he was standing up for his younger brother.  He stood alright - They both found themselves standing side by side in the corner!  It reminds me of the movie "Life!"  One dude tried to help the other and ends up being asked by some bigger dude if he's gonna eat his cornbread and his good reputation ruined!

In reality, we see it everywhere, folks tossing these reputations, along with 80 million dollars, right out the window because they made a minor error like bringing guns to work.  Ok, that wasn't exactly minor but nevertheless it happens.  Families are destroyed and lives altered.  Moving further...while having a good reputation is a wonderful thing to possess, we should beware of keeping it.  ***Hear me out***  I say be aware that sometimes in an attempt to keep our good name, as it pertains to the masses, more detriment to your well being can be brought about.  This because the very definition of reputation refers to the general term of what the "public" thinks of you and attempting to keep up an image that falsely portrays you may cause you to further destroy the very thing that a good reputation is to represent...integrity!  You see, my son must have somehow thought that I'd be more focused on his reputation than his integrity.  He was wrong.  I was proud of him for standing up for his brother.

  

Now in the beginning I asked you to insert a term as it pertained to your reputation.  I'm going to assume it was positive.  Now take that term and all the things this good name may have gotten you.  Perhaps a job, or even that 80 million dollar contract.  Next, subtract from that your attempt at contriving your own derivative of the two fingered salute in the form of a gun during warm ups and see what you have left.  It definitely won’t be any cornbread!

"Alex, I think I'll take things that begin with the letter "I"