Today's thread is brought to you by the letter "D" ...

Hmmm ... the big "D" word ... DISCRETION ...

noun 1. the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice:
It is entirely within my discretion whether I will go or stay.

2. the quality of being discreet, esp. with reference to one's own actions or speech; prudence or decorum:
Throwing all discretion to the winds, he blurted out the truth.

Synonyms 2. judgment, wisdom, discrimination, sense.

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dis·creet
adjective 1. judicious in one's conduct or speech, esp. with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect.

2. showing prudence and circumspection; decorous: a discreet silence.

3. modestly unobtrusive; unostentatious: a discreet, finely wrought gold necklace.

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My thoughts ...

Being discreet and/or utilizing discretion in this industry is EXTREMELY important to me - for the gents as well as for myself. I believe that they go hand-in-hand and should be absolutely honored in any relationship that one encounters - believe it or not, I have just as much to lose as the gentlemen do. Due to the nature of this industry, discretion should be a number one priority as well as safety.

It seems pretty scary that discretion is "the power or right to decide or act according to one's own judgment; freedom of judgment or choice." Hmmm ... to ONE'S own judgment ... you would think that there would be SOME TYPE of UNIVERSAL meaning for both parties ... yep, pretty scary, for some of us!

Over the past 6 months, I have watched discretion being thrown around like the Hot Potato game we played when we were kids. People outting people quickly before gathering the facts or waiting a proper amount of time for facts to be given - and then ending in the Apology Game, while intimate details that were shared and/or were damaging cannot be taken back. I believe the worst case scenario that I have seen of this is when a gent has access to a girl's computer and uses that information to blackmail people - that is 2 other "D" words ... Despicable and Devious.

How about when you are invited to a social event and you are asked very politely to keep it to yourself? Just because you are invited, doesn't mean that your friends are! And I know this from first-hand experience! And then, when you are NOT invited, you decide to show up anyways? Where is the respect for others and, more so, for yourself? Wow, I think freedom of judgment has a new, "real-world" meaning here!

So, I ask myself, what is the purpose of discretion in this industry? To defame someone's character when things don't go your way? The flip side of the coin is that it will show more power in YOUR character on the way we choose to honor discretion. So, how many of you think about that?

I believe that DISCRETION is included in my rate ... it is the promise I make to you and the promise you make to me ... "esp. with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature."

I think the synonyms for discretion are much clearer ...

"judgment, wisdom, discrimination, sense"

and I feel extremely grateful that I share time with people of this caliber who possess those qualities and are mature enough to know when to exercise when they have truly been wronged.

Your thoughts?

Sunshine Loves ~
Lacie O
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