When Truth Laces Up

I am delighted to introduce my youngest brother, Thomson Mathew (Thomson Mammootil), who has recently ventured into writing. After graduating in Physics, Thomson joined our father in running our ancestral shop in the Changanacherry market. Together with my other younger brother, they continue the business with the same simplicity, integrity, and steady rhythm our father embodied.

In recent months, Thomson has been sharing with me some of his writings—accompanied by his own thoughtfully crafted graphics. I shared a few of them in our family group, and they were met with genuine admiration and surprise.

Given below is one of his narrations: a series of reflections expressed through clear pronouncements, illustrated with stories.

I trust you will savour them as warmly as we did.

True Lies

When Truth Laces Up

From childhood, we’ve heard it countless times: 

T r u t h alone t r i u m p h s 

A simple sentence, repeated in classrooms, stories, and prayers. 

But as we grow, life quietly teaches us that the road for truth is long and rocky—while lies often take shortcuts, dressed in charm. 

The Thief and the Shoes

A small incident near our home reminded me of this strange race. 

One night, a thief broke into a nearby house. The owner, a well-dressed man, heard the commotion and quickly got up to catch him. But first, he paused—put on his shoes, tied the laces, pulled on his jacket… By the time he stepped out, the thief had already disappeared into the darkness. 

It reminded me of a sharp old saying: often credited to MarkTwain

When truth is putting on its shoes, a lie has already run halfway around the world.

Layers of Lies

Even in school, we saw this in action. 

When someone messed up an assignment or broke a rule, the cover-up began. One lie led to another. Soon, it wasn’t a mistake anymore,it was a drama, a story, a tower of lies. 

Lies rise fast—because they stand one on top of another. Truth stays grounded not weak, just unwilling to climb over others. 

In today’s world, the lie often gets the stage, the spotlight, and the applause—while truth waits quietly in the wings. 

Every Walk of Life

From home to the world stage, the same pattern repeats. 

• In families, we soften truths to protect feelings. 
• At work, success is polished while failures are hidden. 
• In sports, medals sometimes shine before cheating is exposed. 
• In politics, crafted lies sway crowds and headlines. 
• Even in religion, some twist truth into tools of control. 

Lies adapt quickly, wearing costumes for every stage. Truth waits quietly, unchanged, unmasked. 

Truth and Lie : A Strange Dance

At times, it even feels like truth and lie are playing together—not enemies, but dance partners. One defines the other. 

Can truth exist without lies? Can a lie exist without stealing a piece of truth? 

Maybe the world keeps spinning because of this tension. Like light and shadow, they shape each other. 

The Naked Truth :  A Timeless Tale

There’s an old troll story that captures this perfectly: 

One day, Truth and Lie went for a swim in a lake. They undressed and stepped into the water. After a while, Lie quietly slipped out, stole truth’s set of clothes, and ran away. Since then, Lie walks around dressed as Truth, and people believe it. 

Meanwhile, Truth, refusing to wear a lie’s clothes, remains naked. That’s where the phrase “naked truth” comes from truth refuses to disguise itself. 

In a world flooded with noise and illusion, truth might feel slow, silent, and left behind. But it doesn’t need to shout. It doesn’t need to dress up. 

When the towers of lies fall, truth is the only thing still standing. 

Let’s still choose truth. Speak it. Stand by it. Even if it walks barefoot.

stephenmusing

We are left with the big question

In today’s world, it’s increasingly tough to separate truth from falsehood. Lies often masquerade as truth, Artificial Intelligence, AI, has made the lies to be seen more truthful than before. making it a real challenge to discern what’s true and what’s not.

Daily we are confronting ”True Lies”