Honesty

Honesty is such a lonely word.
Everyone is so untrue.
Honesty is hardly ever heard.
And mostly what I need from you.

Billy Joel's lyric--or did he write it or just sing it? I just checked. He wrote it himself. Do people really expect honesty? Do you consider yourself a straight arrow? How straight? To tell you the truth, I didn't expect honesty from Billy Joel--to believe the lyrics were his own. Covering another's composition is a compliment after all, but we only refer to it as "covering" another's song if they made a hit of it, right?

According to Wikipedia, a cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song. It can sometimes have a pejorative meaning implying that the original recording should be regarded as the definitive or "authentic" version, and all others merely lesser competitors, alternatives or tributes (no matter how popular).

So, is what you are living a "cover" of an act or lifestyle you have seen others perform? Oops, was that a little too profound? Has someone else already made a hit of it? Was the other a true original, definitive or authentic version?

I think it's like a friend of mine said this morning. It's just the best you can do, whether it's perfect or not. You prepare (or not) to the extent you can and then you show up. Some days, no matter how hard you prepare, it doesn't come off as you would have liked. But, that may still be plenty good. Some other days, you have no choice but to wing it and it comes off as perfect to those who hear it. But, of course, the little voice inside you calls you an impostor. So what? Ignore the little voice, and be what you are.

So, why does Billy Joel want honesty? Everyone is so untrue, even to themselves (Impostor!). Well, the whole source of this little post is that I was less than honest in something I did today. My sense is that the organization I am dealing with has been less than perfect with me, so I am justified in being a little less than truthful with them. Atop the slippery slope, I am. But I'll forge ahead and do what I can, and I'll guess Billy Joel was just talking to himself--mostly what he needs he must get from himself, then he will succeed.