Integrity and Honesty: The Situation that Has Changed My Mind

Integrity is a vital quality to possess as a human. In our society today, many choose to throw away their integrity and honesty and instead look towards deception and dishonesty. Different essays on integrity and honesty defines these characteristics as one of the most important qualities to have in order to be seen as an honest individual that people can look up to and trust. Through honesty and trust you are able to maintain healthy relationships between others, and most importantly you are able to be true to yourself. 

A time my own integrity was tested was when I was still employed at my last job, Starbucks. My day started off as any other normal day. I got up at 6:45 am, got ready, and went to school. As usual, school ended at 2 pm and my shift started at 4 pm. My role at Starbucks was a barista, and my duty besides making coffee was to always put customers first and make sure they are satisfied and treated fairly in the store. As I was taking orders, and my co-worker was completing them, I noticed a man get in the back of the line. He looked kind of lost and in his own world, but I didn't think much of it and kept working the line. As the line got smaller, the man approached me, but for some reason my co-worker got uneasy. As I started to speak to the man he did not show any sign that he understood me. I then realized he was deaf and could not communicate to me. It was my first time meeting this deaf man, but my co-worker had obviously met him before because he immediately expressed great dislike in the situation. My co-worker has dealt with him before but is also agitated because he always comes in and he can never communicate with him, according to my co-worker at the time. My co-worker kept telling me to just let him be and don't try to help him but I knew that was the wrong thing to do. I immediately got out my phone and opened the notes section and handed it to the deaf man for him to type his request, but he refused. I was a bit shocked as to why he refused to type on it but I didn't give up and grabbed a notepad and a pen. The deaf man grabbed the pen and pad and wrote away while my co-worker was yelling at me to leave him alone and let him leave. I calmly told my co-worker that he should go to the back room and relax while I handled the situation because I wanted to help the deaf man out. I knew that if I just left him there, he would feel betrayed by me and leaving him with no help would be against my morals and integrity. Thankfully, customers didn't come during my interaction and I was able to help the deaf man. It turned out he wanted directions to a local supermarket, which I was able to show him by pointing and google maps. Seeing him shake my hand and walking out of the door smiling left a painted picture in my head forever. 

I feel proud due to what I did, being able to block out my rude co-worker and instead use integrity and choose to do the right thing by helping the deaf man out. Even though I've never interacted with him, or any deaf person before in my life, it felt good to accomplish something like this. This greatly impacted the deaf man because I showed him kindness while others, like my co-worker, did not. This showed him that people still care about him and are willing to help no matter his circumstances. Being able to look past my co-workers dislike and the deaf man's circumstances really shaped my character because it really showed my morals and who I am. It strengthened my beliefs in helping people in the right times no matter if someone else dislikes what I am doing. I had to choose between satisfying my co-worker for 1 minute or brightening a man's day who was lost. 

My honesty and integrity have lead me to be the person I am today. With interactions I have like this one, it greatly teaches and reminds me to keep doing what I am doing when I know it is right. Choosing to do the right thing is what my mortals are all about, and whenever I follow my morals it shapes my character and strengthens my integrity to keep doing what is right over and over again. The only thing I regret from my interaction that day was I never got the man's name.