Professional Morality

I’ve recently experienced two similar situations that have prompted the writing of this article. I am fairly confident in saying that situations such as these are not limited to me. I’d even go as far as to say that nearly everyone has experienced a similar situation in his/her life. Despite however common this dishonesty may be and despite my inability to create a solution to the problem, I feel that we should bring the information to light and expose it as often as possible.

I’ll start with my car. First of all, I should let you know that my car has a significant number of miles because in the past, I commuted an 80 mile round trip to work. Now I work from home, so I don’t drive my car as much. In any case, I took my car to get an oil change, and the mechanic proceeded to tell me that I needed a new head gasket. Now if you know anything about vehicles at all, you know that having a new head gasket installed is a costly job. This mechanic sweetly offered to install it for $500, which is a great price. Luckily, I decided to take my car to my parent’s mechanic in the small town of Ackerman, MS.  At that shop, the mechanic duly informed me that not only did I not need a new head gasket, but that my car was in tip-top shape.

At this point, I won’t mention the mechanic who so blatantly lied to me. I will, however, mention the name of the shop that was completely honest with me. If you live in or near Ackerman, MS, I highly recommend Cornish Tire and Auto. Because I drove two hours to bring my car to this shop, the mechanics checked out my car thoroughly, ensuring me that it was safe to drive home.  My parents know the owner of the shop as well as the main mechanic, and I can attest to the fact that you will receive an honest opinion there. I applaud their honesty in a time when so many people take advantage of their skills in order to make a quick buck.

The second incident I’ll mention involves taking my dog to the veterinarian. My miniature schnauzer, Rudy, had a cough, and though I gave him children’s Robitussin, it simply wouldn’t go away. So I took him to a local vet. I didn’t have an appointment, but they assured me that they could work me in. They did, and the vet  told me to break up some Mucinex and to give Rudy an 8th of a tablet. However, while I was there, I asked the vet about Rudy’s frequent urination. He explained to me that Rudy might have an enlarged prostate, a condition that’s common in older dogs that haven’t been neutered. Now again, if you know anything about an enlarged prostate, then you know that a quick and simple rectal exam reveals an enlarged prostate. However, this vet said that I would have to make another appointment for a rectal exam, muttering something about me being there on an “emergency visit.”

Perhaps that was the clinic guidelines. However, I do know this. Just like a regular doctor, vets charge an office visit, and if I made a new appointment, then I would be required to pay a separate doctor’s visit. So since I was in Ackerman, MS for my car anyway, I headed 30 minutes south to Kosciusko, MS, and took Rudy to Kosciusko Veterinary Hospital. The vet there is Dr. Stephen Rea, who took very good care of Rudy. Dr. Rea graduated from Vet School at Mississippi State University, and he has been best friends with my husband since they were young children. His character is impeccable, and he is an expert on veterinarian medicine. There is no doubt that he would be honest, friendly, and helpful to anyone who comes into his clinic. If you live anywhere near Dr. Rea’s office, then it’s worth a drive to take your pets there.

We all have skills. Some can fix vehicles. Others can treat illnesses. I write. However, we have a moral obligation and duty to make those services available to other people who do not have the same skills that we have. We can be humane, though. I know we’re in a recession, and I know everyone is struggling at some level. However, we’re all in this together, and it is disgraceful to use your skills to take advantage of other people.

 I encourage other writers to promote professionals who are hard working and honest. Professional morality should not be an uncommon trait. However, I believe that’s the case. Therefore, those professionals who do practice morality should be recognized so that their skills can be used by other people just like me and you.  I also believe morality in a workplace says a lot about a person’s character, and it saddens me to think that economic struggles have taken precedence over morality.