Wearing my emotions on my sleeve

My lying face could use some work. My wife and I occasionally play cards. We’ll play gin rummy or poker. She’s a great player. I just try to keep up with her.

I’ll take a deep breath and look at my cards. I tell myself to keep a straight face. I try to talk myself through it. I warn myself to not let my feelings give away my cards.

I’ll be okay for a few hands, but then my wife will look at me. I’ll try to push back a smile, but she knows me. She knows my every trick. Three decades together does that. You know each other’s moves. My mind will start spinning. I’ll try to keep my composure.

And then she’ll smile at me like she’s onto me and a huge smile will spread across my face. My wife starts laughing and yells out, “I knew it. I knew it. You got the card you needed.” It isn’t a question, it’s a statement. She knows. And she’s not wrong.

I wear my emotions on my sleeve. It could be cards, April Fools pranks, or even Christmas gift surprises. It’s always been this way. It’s the same way when I’m happy or tearful. I want to let the whole world know. I try to hold it in, but I eventually spill over like the Niagara Falls.

I’ve never been a good liar. When I was kid and wanted to play hooky from school, I had to repeatedly tell myself the lie. It’s almost as if I had to believe the lie. If I didn’t, my face would most certainly give me away.

I’m thankful that “honesty is the best medicine.” I would be a horrible thief. I would let the cat out of the bag well before the police figured things out. I write more about honesty and transparency in my post, As clear as day, on the Heart of the Matter.

The need for transparency is needed now more than ever. It shows up in politics, business and home. I describe an instance several years ago when I saw the writing on the wall. I recognized that things were looking bleak for the company where I worked. I happened to bring it up to a senior manager and he poked fun of me for even asking the question. Three days later, company leaders laid off 300 workers, including my team and me.

Check it out. And look there, I got the card I needed for a full house.

Related items:

• As clear as day on The Heart of the Matter
• A wall of silence
• Humble and kind

All images via Pexels.