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Politics : Actual left/right wing discussion -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (907)	9/15/2006 10:43:53 AM
From: one_less	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10087

"That was the last sin I committed that seems worthy of reporting to a priest in confession." Thirty five years ago on a Friday night, a college buddy and I were headed to a bohemian party in another town. He was driving and needed me to put some gas in his car. We pulled over at a small mom and pop convenience gas station in a country town of population a less than a couple hundred. So I got out and put about five dollars in, which filled_er_up in those days. Then I noticed that the store part of the gas station was dark. So, we looked at each other and I jumped back in the car and yelled GOOOO!!! For about the next twenty-five years I had a dozen or so opportunities to drive down that road. Every time I passed that station, (no longer mom_&_pop store, now a major brand) I had a horrible guilt pang. So one day I stopped and went in with my five bucks to pay the girl at the counter. I told her the story and she just stared at me like 'where do I put this five dollars'... so I told her, "look, you can take it as a tip or put it as an over pay in the register, I don't care just please take it, it will give me peace of mind" ... she did take it and it did. One of the best five bucks that I ever spent. Now when I think of that story I feel good about myself, prior to paying the girl I felt icky about it (Self forgivenness). The ability to forgive whether it is to self or other is based on three things. Being able to identify a wrong, a sincere acceptence of responsibility for wrong doing, a commitment to do something to resolve the wrong to the best of your ability.

To: Lane3 who wrote (907)	9/15/2006 1:01:20 PM
From: Ilaine	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 10087

I remember it vividly because I felt really bad about it. Never did it again. That happened somewhere around 1966. This happens more than you might think. When I was a student at LSU, the cashier in the bookstore kept a bulletin board with notes from former students saying they'd stolen a blue book or something and sending in the money along with the book. Even just a nickel can sear the conscience. My thought is that you should send the money to Sears, anonymously, get it off your mind forever. It works. Been there, done that, mostly with library books I forgot to return when I moved from place to place. Eventually I've sent them all back, with a letter apologizing, and a check to cover the late fees plus something extra. The nagging voice of my conscience was quieted. Someone I owed $100 to for 30 years got in touch with me last month, a friend who loaned it to me for something I needed and then we lost touch. He was doing one of those late night things where you look for old friends on google. I offered to send him the money -- he said he'd forgotten about it, not to worry. That was nice, and it cleared that little thing nagging on my conscience. I sometimes get too much in change, and if I notice it in time, I'll give it back. But if I don't notice it until later, the question then becomes, am I obligated to spend my time and my gas in order to make right a mistake I did not make? My thought is no. The only time this has lingered on my conscience is when a cashier at Walmart charged me for only one flashlight when I bought two. I discovered this in the parking lot so would not have had to burn gas or expend effort to make it right, but I was in a hurry to get home, the power was off and we needed the lights. It still bugs me so I will have to make it right.