Did I Kill Jimmy Hoffa?

Jimmy Hoffa, the former Teamster president, was last seen in a Michigan restaurant parking lot. The year was 1975. That restaurant was the Machus Red Fox. I worked there almost two years in high school and college. It was a mile from my house. So, did I kill Jimmy Hoffa?

The answer is no, I did not kill him, nor was I ever a suspect. I was working at the Red Fox in the summer of 1980 when camera crews shot footage in the dining room for the 11 o'clock news.

This past summer I was in traffic court on an expired registration. I felt nervous going before a judge because I had never gone before a judge before. I had been a witness to a pipe bombing back in 1985, but that's a different story for a different time.

The only reason I was nervous was because of the setting, not because of my guilt. My guilt was pretty clear, and I was willing to pay the consequences. I ended up getting off with just a $50 fine.

Later, I thought about my experience of going before the judge. The consequences of my actions were pretty low. I wouldn't have been heading to jail for my offense. Nor would I have a pay a terribly high fine.

As I relate it to my day-to-day business, I think about the consequences of my actions. Daily I'm faced with choices of acting unethically. I could pad the hours I'm charging a client. I can claim something on my taxes that isn't really deductible. And I can lie about my abilities to a potential client.

The real fear comes in whether or not I will get caught. If I get caught there are consequences. Fines. Lost business. Lost reputation. These all translate to loss for me.

So I try to live ethically in my business life. I live a life beyond reproach. Being beyond reproach means that charges can't even be brought against a person, let alone being convicted of charges. It's living a life of purity and honesty.

Living a life of fear comes from living a life of compromise and risky behavior. We reap what we sow. If we sow questionable ethics and deceit, we will reap soiled reputations and distrust. If we sow honesty and trustworthiness, we reap a pure heart and a clear conscience.

The case of Jimmy Hoffa is still unsolved 27 years later, but I can go to bed with a clear conscience because I did not kill Jimmy Hoffa, and I try to live beyond reproach. Do you?

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Dave Carlson is the owner of Green Chair Marketing Group, a boutique marketing firm specializing in developing comprehensive marketing plans focusing on Internet strategies to help businesses succeed. He can be reached at 720-922-3124. See his Web site at www.GreenChair.net.

© 2001, Dave Carlson, All Rights Reserved