Prompt: Write about someone who earned your trust.
Today’s prompt for July 7, 2026, is: Write about someone who earned your trust.
I think I start from a position of trust and move into distrust, instead of building trust or waiting for someone to earn it.
I don’t know. I can’t really think of a scenario where somebody’s earned my trust. The closest thing I can get to is maybe students, but even then, every day kind of starts over.
I don’t know if I trust them enough to be trusted by them.
Whenever I meet somebody new, especially in a professional setting, I start from a position of trust. I trust that you know what you’re supposed to be doing, that you’re there for a reason, that you’re committed to that reason, and that you’ll fulfill your responsibilities to achieve the outcome you’re there for.
It’s only when things don’t work out that I start to get frustrated and begin to lose trust in other people.
This happens often, especially at school. I’m sure the reverse is true too—that people have lost trust in me for not doing something.
With students, I definitely start from that position. I trust that they know what they’re supposed to be doing, how to act, and what’s expected of them. But I don’t think that’s a fair assumption to make.
Students are still learning how to be trustworthy and how to act in ways that build trust.
A small but, I think, meaningful example is pencils.
I go through so many pencils, and I trust that students know how to keep one with them, sharpen it, use it, and not lose it. But that’s not true. That’s a skill they have to develop.
And it’s actually kind of an important one, because it leads to other things. It’s part of executive functioning—managing materials, schedules, and responsibilities. So it’s bigger than just a pencil.
With colleagues, it’s similar. If you say you’re going to do something, or you’re going to help me out in some way, just follow through.
Teaching is highly political. There’s a lot that’s said and not always a lot that’s done. Maybe that’s just bureaucracy. I don’t know.
So no, I don’t think I start from a position of distrust and then work my way toward trusting somebody. It’s actually the opposite.
I can’t really think of another situation where this plays out in my daily life. Woodworking I mostly do by myself, so it doesn’t really come up there.
Anyway, before I bore you by sitting here in silence trying to think of another example, I’ll just say that you can find this prompt and many more at Letters’ Lounge: www.letterslounge.com.
Of course, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this prompt or any of the others, so please leave a comment or a link to your blog, audio journal, or wherever you’re sharing your reflections, and I’ll be sure to check them out.
All right, folks. I’ll talk to you tomorrow. Bye.
This transcript was lightly cleaned up with the help of AI to improve readability while preserving the original voice and intent of the recording.
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