One Truth

What have you learned after you've reached a certain age? Anything tangible that can be passed on? Rules for life that are universal, or simply habits that worked for you? I shuffle through my mental rollerdex, stopping here and there to consider a point. I was always early or would strive to be, for every event or meeting, but when all was considered, in both the long, and the short term, it didn't matter much, and was more of an obsession, than an endearing trait. I always showed up for work, did my job without excuse and in the long run it didn't matter much. Sort of like treading water, I stayed in the same place for all the effort. As I sort the cards over and over, looking for general principles, I find that the only things that really gave me pleasure were those that I did expecting no reward, money to a desperate friend, compliments and encouragement to those that never get it. But, you know, I never did enough of those acts to be able to say with confidence that this is the way. As I sort the cards, the one that keeps coming up over and over is that nothing good can be based on a lie no matter how well-intentioned