Blessed to Bless! by Steve Klusmeyer

      Will the Real Me
      Please Stand Up
      by Steve Klusmeyer - 2/18/2003

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      Nothing But The Truth

      image of 'To Tell the Truth' logo The pilot episode of the TV game show Nothing but the Truth aired in 1956. Mike Wallace was the host. Polly Bergen, John Cameron Swayze, Hildy Parks, and Dick Van Dyke made up the panel of celebrity contestants. The show featured three people who claimed to be Tony Costello, a truant officer who, in 1932, sang backup for Frank Sinatra. The celebrities asked questions in an attempt to identify the real Costello and expose the two imposters. At the end of the show, Mike Wallace asked the now-famous question, "Will the real Tony Costello please stand (up)?" Dick Van Dyke was the only panelist to guess correctly. The series was a favorite for the next 12 years and has returned in some variation every decade since.

      Who Am I Really

      A good friend of ours had surgery earlier this month. For a day or so afterwards, he wasn't quite himself. He acted in ways and said things that were out of character for him. I can't give him too much grief, since I've been told that I reacted in a similar manner after my surgery a few years ago. Come to think of it, I've lapsed into that behavior even when I couldn't use sickness as an excuse. I'm reminded of a quote by C. S. Lewis, "The suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man; it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am."

      Who am I really? Will the real me please stand up? I would like to think that it's an imposter who takes control of my body or that it's just the medication talking. The truth is, sometimes we all do or say things that are out of character for us. We have all wished for a chance to reach out and grab words that we can't believe just came out of our mouth. Who hasn't regretted an action or remark that happened during the heat of the moment or at a time when we were feeling a little under the weather? Or maybe, the weight of the world was pushing just a little harder on our shoulders at the time.

      The Real Me

      The point is no one is perfect. We all make mistakes. The "real me" includes the so-called imposter that shows up once in a while. He is part of what makes me who I am. I'm not condoning his actions or saying I should just tolerate his presence. It may not always be easy, but I can recognize his existence and make a conscious effort to change. It is possible for the "Real me to please stand up."

      Learn more about dealing with past mistakes
      Learn more about the TV game show, To Tell the Truth

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