I've been thinking a bit lately about honesty — specifically how it relates to personal relationships.

Recently, a close friend confided in me he/she was experiencing doubt about the future of his/her marriage. My friend was reluctant to reveal details but eventually revealed enough during the course of our conversation to prompt me to identify that a significant component of the problem was honesty (or a lack thereof).

I'm no psychologist or expert in relationships, but it seems that honesty and trust go hand in hand. That's probably a no-brainer, but I get the impression that people don't care as much about being honest as they should.

And it's not just honesty with your significant other and other acquaintances, but also honesty with yourself!

I've mentioned previously the recent disintegration of my sister's marriage. Since then, the divorce has been made official and a lot of other crap has occurred. As I contemplate the circumstances that led to this result and how everything was handled, I see so many examples of situations where honesty would have prevented or lessened a lot of pain people had to endure.

I'm not just referring to honesty between people. I'm also referring to honesty with oneself. I've seen it too many times —I'm probably guilty of it too —where something bad happens in someone's life and this person immediately looks to place the blame somewhere other than them. This results in hurting other people's feelings and refusing to face the truth.

Anyway, I apologize for dragging on with this, but I felt like I had to get it out. I feel fortunate that my relationships, I think, are pretty honest. I also notice that thinking about this topic has made me more aware of situations in my life where I could be more honest with myself and with others. So, it's all for a good cause!

When it rains, it knocks you off your feet and sweeps you away

Iodynamics is experiencing an unprecedented upswell in business. It's a bit alarming, to be honest. I'm not sure exactly how we're going to meet the demand, but I'm sure we'll find a way. We always do.

It will help that Christine will be able to contribute. We may need to find a couple other programmers to assist as well once the API is established.

In addition to the big project we landed near Thanksgiving, we're also looking at significant smaller projects with some of our existing clients. Plus, a Logan-based office wants to sit down with us to discuss the installation of our Argus scheduling system. It would be nice to see it expand beyond just Cook Dorigatti & Associates. It really is a very versatile product, even though it's starting to show it's age by its looks.

Christine is great

I don't gush romantic very often, but I just wanted to take a moment to say that I love my wife Christine and I think she's awesome. My long weekend home over Thanksgiving spent mostly with my wife and kids was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to taking a couple vacation days over Christmas.

Christine and I are approaching our eighth wedding anniversary coming up in a couple weeks. It's amazing it's been that long, but at the same time, it seems like we've been married forever. We've been through a lot during those eight years, but it has all made us both better individuals, I think. I'm looking forward to eight more years and beyond.