The way I see it, it is nice when big people can recognize their mistakes and actually say: ‘I am sorry.’
Those three words are three of the most difficult words for big people to say.
Some persons think that it is an embarrassment to admit when they are wrong and to try to make up for mistakes made.
Others may say just one word: SORRY but even the way it is said, it is evident that they actually do not mean anything positive by it.
I once heard a story of a guy who had done an injustice to another guy and had actually mashed his foot in the process.
When his superior officer asked him to apologize publicly to the offended worker, he said very loudly: ‘Sorry!’.
He then muttered under his breath, hardly audibly: “that I did not do it little harder!’
He meant nothing good by that ‘apology.’
I am reminded of this incident because not long ago, a big man—a matured man called me on my phone and asked me to forgive him for his behaviour in a public office the day before.
Now what is even more amazing is that I was in the office paying a bill and I was not involved in any way in the fracas that ensued, but he called to say that he knew that I was there and because of the respect that he held for me, he was calling to apologize for his behaviour on that day.
He went to great pains to assure me that he does not act that way normally but that the young lady had really gotten him upset and he reacted without thinking.
I was in the line waiting to pay my bill, when he entered the office. His co-worker (the young lady), greeted him and told him something. I did not hear what she said but whatever it was, it rubbed him the wrong way and he literally exploded.
He did not swear or anything like that, but he was loud and abrupt with the young lady.
The way she tried to cover up the situation by saying: ‘I really can’t take you on today,’ I thought that it was just the way they made jokes and I seriously did not pay them too much mind.
So when he called and apologized, that is when I knew that it was a serious altercation.
One day later, we met up at another public institution and he again apologized and went on to say that he has been working in the company for ‘donkeys of years’ and these ‘Johnny –come –latelies’ just coming to mess with people head and try to offend them.
He however admitted that he should not have behaved like that in front of the customers and shocked me by saying that apart from me, he had sought out some of the other customers and apologized to them as well.
Well I newa!
I commended him heartily on the gesture and assured him that I thought that it was really nice that he had committed to doing that.
I think that this is a perfect lesson in reconciliation for our society which currently has a problem in resolving issues in an amicable manner.
This man has set the example and we all need to follow suit.
That’s the way I see it. How do you see it?