Tell the Truth 99% of the Time

Tom: I had a coach at Young Harris, and he believed, and 99% taught me, that there is never a time when the truth doesn’t fit better than a lie, and he proved that all the way through — but in time was a lie better than the truth.

So I told him about, and what brought it up: Dan Bruce, my buddy, smoked, and then when he got killed, his mother said to the coach “two or three things I can say about Dan: He was a very honest fellow, did so and so, and he never smoked,” and Coach didn’t say anything about it, didn’t correct it, and he took that as being a lie, and he came to me and asked me what I thought. I said “No, that’s not being a lie, that’s being kind to somebody,” but he just felt so bad about it, and I still remember that.

But you can stretch the truth, or you can tell the lie, but it generally always comes back to haunt you. So he taught me that, and I 99% believe it. If a gal comes to you and says “you think I’m pretty?” What are you going to say!? [laughter]

That’s that one percent. [laughter]