Locked down with my Ukulele 27

These are strange times and using your conscience to do the right thing is everyone’s responsibility.

The problem is that individuals have a different point of reference to set your conscience by. People from the same family often have similar standards to live by because those reference points have been formed by shared experience. Our moral compass may still point North but differ by fractions of a degree.

The dictionary defines conscience as: the sense of right or wrong that governs a persons thoughts and actions.

A trained conscience would stop an individual from stealing, causing damage or maybe even hurt others. So it saddens me when I see persons unwilling to use facemasks around others, which clearly worries some other shoppers or discarded facemasks littering an area. I was disappointed by the amount of litter left in public places. Conscience can be trained by bad experiences. I’ve heard about people transforming their lives and doing good because they inadvertently cause damage or hurt.

I heard someone say recently: “there is none so soft a pillow as a clean conscience.”

Romans 2:15

They are the very ones who demonstrate the matter of the law to be written in their hearts, while their conscience is bearing witness with them, and by their own thoughts they are being accused or even excused.

An ability to decide between right and wrong, good and bad is one of the things that distinguishes us from the beasts. Noticing what is wrong and doing something about it is part of that training.

I had a friend note something that was not on the face of things wrong but could be unwise. They said that conscience had always been a problem. I am forced to disagree. If consideration to others were exercised, and part of the collective conscience we would not see the piles of litter, or the disregard of social distancing. How many regrets could be avoided if we did what was right instead of what we want or what is our right?

The story of Pinocchio, as told by Disney, in the animated film of the same name illustrates the point. I can’t believe that this film has been around for as long as it has. It’s moral message wrapped up in the story of a wooden boy.

This was one of the first films we went to “the pictures” to see. I was terrified by some of the dark parts of the story. It’s the bit when the boy’s are turned into donkeys. I think after that film I was at my best behaved ever in my life.

I thought that the cinema had been knocked down by now to make space for a superstore. I have found out, to my great pleasure, the Regal has survived as a cinema still. Swinging seats and the dark material on the chairs the huge screen and sound everywhere made the place magical.

Always let your conscience be your guide (Give a little whistle)!

I have not found out a lot about this song but it does feature in Disney’s animated feature Pinocchio (that’s not easy to spell). The film was realised in February 1940. The song was written by Leigh Harline and Ned Washington. Ned was nominated and won best original song for another Pinocchio tune, “When You Wish Upon A Star”. A lovely tune that matches the sentiment of the moment in the film.

Stay safe