Level Three. Right from Wrong.
Level Three. Right from Wrong.
By Michelle Lloyd.
New One had a moral compass. What was a moral compass? It was not an actual thing that he could hold in his hand but he knew it was there, inside him and with it he could tell right from wrong. His Mum and his Dad had told him that he should always appreciate it and it was lovely to have with him because for New One it gave him an all important sense of direction in life.
It was thought of as simple by New One to tell if an incident or an action was correct or incorrect. All he had to do was think hard about it and use that moral compass to help him decide. Simple or not, it was one particular incident which helped New One to learn much more about what it all meant.
New One had always relied on his motivating moral compass and it had never failed him. When he stumbled one day upon his two friends, RV and Little Herbert in what appeared to be a dispute, he thought that he should get the trusted and beloved moral decider out. He did not think twice about it.
New One braced himself and went straight into the one on one disagreement. He did find out why RV was upset with Little Herbert and then he heard the facts about why Little Herbert was at odds with RV.
Hardly ever did those two fight and that was why New One had to admit he was a bit thrown by it all. He handled it as well as he could, and achieved a kind of truce between the two. At least the two were not both shouting their version of the facts at him at once.
New One told them to time out of their problem and that he would, as his parents had advised him to do, look to his moral compass for the answer. RV and Little Herbert both gave him rather unconvinced looks at this suggestion but they decided to give it and him a go.
There was a moral compass somewhere and New One knew this because he had used it on many occasions before but this time, try as he might, he could not seem to locate it.
It was not as easy, New One discovered to utilise that moral compass when you had a lot riding on the outcome. He could understand why RV was so sad about Little Herbert letting him down when he had promised to go with him to the park, but to be fair, when Little Herbert had explained why he had to cancel, because of his Grandpa’s unexpected need for them to go visit him, then he could not blame him either.
What was the right answer? Who was wrong? Both RV and Little Herbert looked to New One and his promised moral compass for the answer. An answer he simply did not have.
New One took the problem home with him like homework, but unlike homework this could not be solved with a bit of a memory and methodical means. New One huffed about it, he sighed loudly and then so loudly again that even Lana dog looked up from where she had been trying to chew on her tail. In the end New One went to his Mum and asked her what he should do with a moral compass that seemed not to be working.
If something was faulty, often you could get it repaired or replaced and this is what New One was hoping his Mum could tell him. Actually her response was far from what he had expected…
A moral compass New One’s Mum told him was not something that could break. It could be a bit difficult to interpret what it told you at times but if you looked hard enough you would be able to find the answer. She asked him what the problem was and why it had been so perplexing? New One explained about the two most important loved ones in his life, other than his family, who had fallen out. He told her the facts, the whys and wherefores and the insight she provided was something that he would recall again and again.
New One’s Mum, after thinking about what he had told her, suggested that maybe he should try his moral compass again because often it was in those hard dilemmas that we had to deliberate on the most that an even more meaningful answer could be found.
New One thought about this idea and what his Mum had told him to do. He went away and thought about those people who meant so much to him. He knew both RV and Little Herbert very well, part of the problem, a big part was that they looked forward to being able to arrange trips out so much and it was the disappointment that had meant they had not really behaved in the ways that they normally would. New One thought about it and then he had a possible answer.
At school New One saw that his friends, RV and Little Herbert were ignoring each other yet again. There were harsh looks, backs turned and amongst all the hubbub of the classroom, silence between them.
New One went into the situation with his suggestion of an alternative meet up time for them. He explained that if they got together on that afternoon then they could take Lana out as well because his Dad would be at home too. At first, no one said anything. Then, slowly RV began to show interest in the taking Lana out for a walk idea, Little Herbert too thought that he would like to do it. Everyone loved Lana and her sniffing, venture escapes of a walk were always lots of fun.
All too soon the three were discussing what they would do on this alternative after school outing and New One even saw RV say sorry to Little Herbert about not being understanding when told of his unexpected plans with his Grandpa. New One felt relieved and in full ownership of his moral motivator again, and when he thought about it the moral compass he had was so valuable. It gave him a lot to think about and mostly that was being able to trust in what he knew to be true.