Today WE Magazine for Women is participating in a Blog Tour with our very dear friend and author, Beverly Mahone. We are delighted and honored to help her spread the word about her latest book, Don’t Ask and I Won’t Have to Lie…
Here’s a brief interview with Beverly on the book (you can find an excerpt from Chapter 3 below)
How did you come up with the title: “Don’t Ask and I won’t Have to Lie?”
I came up with the title because that tends to be the prevailing attitude: If you don’t ask me, I won’t have to lie about it. Often times we find ourselves in situations where we have to decide if we’re going to take the high road or bend the truth a little. Most people say they would take the high road and be truthful but most people wouldn’t do it at the risk of causing irreparable harm to another human being–at least I don’t think so.
What prompted you to write this book?
The idea for Don’t Ask and I Won’t Have to Lie was created shortly after I walked out of my doctor’s office in 2008. To make a long story short, I lied to my doctor about taking my medication as prescribed but the medical exam revealed the truth and as a result of not taking my medication like I was supposed to, I learned I could’ve died because my heart had deteriorated severely.
Why this book now?
There has been so much talk lately about “50 being the new 30” and “40 being the new 20” that I just wanted to set the record straight. That is a LIE. Unfortunately, many women have bought into this concept and are fooling themselves into believing they can shave 10-20 years off of their lives with cosmetic surgery. I also wanted to offer reasons why lying is, in fact, okay sometimes. The book is a mixed bag of why it’s okay or not okay to lie.
What are 3 things readers will take away from reading this book?
1) The role aging plays when it comes to why we lie and what we tend to lie about
2) To give the reader a better understanding of the untruths they may hear
3) An opportunity to laugh and enjoy and good read
HERE IS an EXCERPT of Don’t Ask and I Won’t Have to Lie:
You and I will tell an average of 88,000 lies over the course of our lives, according to a 2008 London survey. This amounts to 1,460 untruths a year or more than four lies a day if you live to be 60 years old. If these numbers are correct, that means I’ve already told close to 76,000 lies.
At least once a day I choose not to answer my telephone when it rings. Is it just me? How many times have you looked at the number on the caller ID before making a decision as to whether you were going to answer it or not? Most people say if they don’t recognize the number they are more inclined not to answer it for fear that it could be a bill collector or nagging telemarketer. Even when they do recognize the number, they can still ignore it and no one would be the wiser.
There are times when I might pretend not to be at home when someone knocks on the door. Have you ever done that?
So what are some of the other things you and I are guilty of lying about? Weight, age, image, quality of life, and sexual experience top the list according to a number of surveys and research studies. In a comprehensive Feel the Pulse of WomenTM survey conducted by BettyConfidential.com, weight was the number one thing women said they lied about. (April Daniels Hussar & Julie Ryan Evans, 2008) That’s a lie every woman can get away with because who’s going to know if you skim ten or fifteen pounds from your actual weight? Is someone going to demand that you get on a scale to prove or disprove it? Besides, we all know those things are always inaccurate.
Another way to lie about those frustrating pounds is to simply camouflage it. That’s so much easier to do than to keep making the same old New Year’s Resolution to lose weight. I used to do that. Every January 1, I was always motivated and energized to lose the weight. Sometimes I even started my exercise routine the week after Christmas to give my body a head start. But by the middle of February, when the scales weren’t moving anymore, I didn’t seem to be moving much either. But now I save myself the heartache by going out and buying extra large one-size-fits-all tent tops, dresses and stretch pants. If you can’t see the fat it doesn’t exist, right?
One of my girlfriends says she hasn’t gained one pound on her driver’s license in over 10 years. I’d say that’s pretty remarkable since she went up two dress sizes during that same time frame.
When it comes to lying about age, some women say if they can get away with proclaiming to be ten years younger or more, that suits them just fine because the thought of adding another year to their age can be depressing. That certainly explains why some women go to great lengths to look as young as they claim to feel.
Learn more and get your copy here: http://beverlymahone.com/dont-ask/
