This is an opinion column

Did you follow the Alex Murdaugh trial?

It wasn’t until Alex Murdaugh himself took the stand that I found myself listening. Like many, I wanted to hear what the man had to say for himself.

He started with the admission of a lie. A lie that was part of a series of lies, that led to more lies, that became as he and the judge both pointed out, a tangled web. He had lied to everybody about everything, yet wanted to be believed when he claimed he was innocent of the crimes he was accused. And certainly some viewers probably wanted him to be innocent. They did not want it to be possible for a man to be capable of killing his wife and child.

All of America was watching, but nobody envied the jurors. They were entrusted to have the integrity to be honest about what the evidence revealed – and I trust with their guilty verdict they did.

There is something other than the blatant obvious that we can learn from Alex Murdaugh, and that is that character still matters.

Hopefully none of us will ever have to be on a witness stand for any reason, especially for a serious crime. But we live in a society where every day – and night in some cities – there are people appearing before judges and jurors wanting to be believed.

Whether as a witness for the defense or the prosecution, whether the victim or the accused, the goal of each is that their truth be believed – to be trusted.

Appearing in court is not the only time in life when we may need to prove ourselves honest. There are countless times when we will be judged throughout life. We judge one another on a daily basis. And most often, the judgement is based on character.

If the term judgment is too strong. If the idea of judging or being judged doesn’t set well with you, substitute the word judgement with decision. Every day we make decisions about others. Every day there are decisions about people that have to be made in order for the clock to tick forward and things to get done.

Hiring and firing are both decisions where character matters. Having good character is necessary for any position, especially leadership positions. People are not going to follow a leader who is not trustworthy.

The person you choose to do your home repairs, file your taxes, perform your surgery, or care for your child all require making a decision about an individual. And your decision will likely be based upon the person’s character.

If you do not have personal insight, you may look to a person’s reputation. If the person is operating as a professional, you may in modern terms read their reviews. Those too stem from character.

There was a lot of talk during the Murdaugh case about his influence and success. His prominence in the community.

If you strive to be a person of influence, your granddaddy’s picture does not need to hang on the courthouse wall. If you want to be successful, be considered prominent, and have people say positive things about you, then be of good character. Be motivated to be honest, and do the right thing, every time.

Amanda Walker is a columnist and contributor with AL.com, The Birmingham News, Selma Times Journal, Thomasville Times, West Alabama Watchman, and Alabama Gazette. Contact her at [email protected] or at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist.