While shopping at a department store, my wife and I had a very disturbing experience. We started to hear what we thought was a minor family conflict between a father and a young boy of approximately ten years of age. We circled around the isle to take a look at what was going on and saw a very terrified young man cowering and hiding from his father while the mother was standing there helpless. The situation escalated and the man started to chase his son who was terrified and trying to hide in the next isle.
This caught our attention and we walked to the end of the isle this family was in. By this time the scene had attracted a few other people who were commenting and watching as they walked by. I stood directly across from this father as he caught his son and began to put a very hard grip on his upper arm. I looked the man in the eyes and told him to knock it off. He had a few choice words for me about minding my own business and started to walk past me while grabbing this young boy behind the neck and leading him towards the exit of the store.
All at once I saw the man lift the boy off the ground and literally carry him by the back of his neck towards the exit. At that moment, my adrenaline kicked in and I yelled to him to drop the boy and that he was about to be arrested. The man dropped him immediately, and the boy took off and the mother went after him to console him. The father I went after him as he headed for the front door. This all occurred as three other people looked on not saying anything to this guy at all. I went after the man and lost him in the parking lot. Minutes later we found the mother and consoled her and made sure her and the young boy were alright and would be alright in the immediate future.
I reflected on that day and thought had we not been there would anyone else have intervened? It really started to make me think about people’s character and integrity and the difference between the two. When we say, “That person really has character and integrity”, what exactly are we saying? If we have integrity do we automatically have good character? I believe in some instances that is the case, however as I witnessed sometimes it is not.
Integrity can be defined as knowing right from wrong, having strong moral principles. I am sure every person in that store that night had some level of integrity. They saw what was happening, some even commented on it to others or under their breath. They knew the behavior being displayed by this man was wrong on so many levels and that it probably wasn’t the first time it had occurred. So having these strong moral principles and knowing what the right thing is, why did nobody else act and defend this poor woman and child in this situation?
When it comes down to character, that can be defined as how you act or carry out your beliefs or morals, in other words, acting upon your integrity. So the other individuals in that store that night had their integrity or morals, but not the character to act upon them. Remember when you were a kid and came home and said to your parents, “Tommy was getting picked on today.” “Everyone was making fun of him but I wasn’t doing it.” That was your integrity knowing you shouldn’t pick on him. Had you displayed true character you would have stopped the others from picking on Tommy. That is the simple difference.
So stand strong in your integrity and morals, but remember to have the character to act upon them and truly make a difference in this world. Having the morals and integrity is not enough to change the world and make it a better place if you do not have the character to act upon them….