Here’s a true tale for review:I received a message last week on Facebook. It was from a guy I went to High School with.
Apparently, in or around 1984, I knew the identity of some kids who threw eggs at his garage on Mischief Night. He told me, in his note, that when He questioned me on the school bus about it, I refused to tell who did it, although I wasn’t directly involved in the actual incident. He is still angry with me and perceives me to be insensitive to the embarrassment that he felt all those years ago.
Now, if I am truthful, I have no recollection of that bus conversation or the mischief of that Mischief Night at all. I felt really bad about the message though, for lots of reasons. I wondered if I was insensitive to his pain back then, the obvious humiliation he felt. I was sad that he still remembered and harbored it all – in detail. I longed to defend myself, but simply apologized instead. Many of these mixed feelings haven’t gone away.
There is one thing I have learned from the message. Everything I do and say has impact on someone else. It’s best to do and say carefully.
1 comment:
Interesting how we tend to hold on to somethings from time to time. I've found this out in my marriage over the course of the 4+ years that we've been together. Either one of us will hold on to a comment or perceived snub while the other goes on like nothing happens. I think this goes along with our generous/gracious conversation on my blog.
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