How Do You Live When Nobody is Watching?

Like many of you I heard the recent tragedy involving Walter Scott. For those unfamiliar, he was gunned down from behind by a police officer, Michael Slager. This horrific shooting was captured on video by someone through their mobile phone. Had it not been for this witness hitting ‘record’ the truth would never have been revealed and officer Slager would still be in uniform.
 
Every morning my students and I gather in a circle and engage in a Daily Reflections reading. I was intrigued by a recent reading where the words challenged the reader to think about how they would respond if they were approached by someone who said, “They know…”
 
As you reflect on this question, is there anything that immediately comes to your mind? Who knows? How much do they know? Essentially, the reading wants you to think about the way that you act when nobody is watching. Are you hiding anything?
 
The world used to be my stage and I put on a wonderful act. I hid my inner pain while wearing a smile on my face. I spit lies while I lived the secret life of an addict. What an exhausting way to live. To be able to get to a point where I am able to walk the talk is both refreshing and liberating.
 
The advancement of technology has brought our society to a place where it seems like someone is always watching. Everything from photo radar, banks, to the random citizen who is videoing various events. Perhaps the fact that so much of our daily lives can be recorded will make people behave better. However, that is all on the surface for those who continue putting on a show for the world only when people are watching, but paint a completely different image when the lights are off.
 
So I ask you… How do you live when nobody is watching?