Are you ABSOLUTELY honest?

I think I have evaded answering this thread question for a long time because I have wanted to write 'Yes!', but honestly ... er ....no!

I like to think I am honest about what matters ... I have handed in money found in the street, returned to the corner shop when given too much change, admitted to accidental damage, taken responsibility for my own failings as far as I can see them ... but I have also not returned too much change given at a supermarket (subtext: they can stand the loss and it makes up for times when they get my bill wrong...) and kept hold of library books way past return date...

I do suffer though, whenever I fail. I found a £5 that no-one had claimed in a self-service till and after my initial 'Oh goody, lucky me - and what's the point of handing it over as someone else will just keep it...?' act of self-justification for pocketing it' I gave it away to charity at the first opportunity because /I felt so guilty!

I think I actually have a lot of sneaky thoughts - maybe it's okay because I don't act upon them!

I find I may as well have a banner on my head telling the world if I have a sneaky thought. I start getting all breathless and worried if it even crosses my mind that I could probably "get away" with something. I blame my mum.

LOL - I blame my mum and the church too

At Christmas many years ago I was doiing a holiday job from school and had just received my first pay ever. That evening I went with a friend to Trafalgar Square to see the lights and left my purse in a telephone box when I phoned my mum to let her know I was on the way home (no mobiles in those days). It is too long ago to remember what else was in it, but I do remember some lovely person managed to track me down and return it. On another occasion I lost a silvrr locket in London. I went into the nearest police station, Bishopsgate, and was told that it had only just been handed in and that the finder had hoped I couldn't be traced so she could have it.

50/50. I once found myself a good walk from a shop where I'd bought something, only to realise that a large pack of Jiffy bags right under my arm hadn't been paid for! I went cold, to think how easily I could have been arrested for shoplifting. I went straight back and paid for them.

OTOH more recently I went supermarket shopping with baby grandson in his pushchair. It was awkward to carry a full basket too, so I put a couple of items on the pushchair hood. When I got to the checkout I found a biggish item missing - I thought I'd bought two, but there was only one. Couldn't be bothered to go back for another.
When I got back to dd's house I found the missing item hiding in the folds of the pushchair hood! Afraid I didn't go back and pay - it was a fair walk and I was feeling weary by then. But if any security guard had been eagle eyed he might have thought it was deliberate - I could have been a piece in the local paper - 'Shoplifting Gran caught red- handed....'.

Yes otherwise I just know it would play on my mind that somebody was having a bad day or that something would result in me having a bad day because I hadn't been honest. Even when years ago I handed in £10 to a barman who didn't really convince me that they wouldn't just pocket it, I felt that I did the best I could.