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Life Lesson #72: Place Blame Carefully


 
See Also:
Life Lesson #86 – Notice the Big Picture
Life Lesson #77 – Honest is the Best Policy
Life Lesson #47 – Take Charge of Your Life
The Delilah Rene Luke Story

 

Years ago, when I was in school, my history class was planning a field trip to a nearby Civil War battle field, we were told to bring a sack lunch and a signed permission slip.

Well, I showed up at school the next morning with my sack lunch but not with a signed permission slip. I had forgotten it. When the teacher said I couldn’t go, I became indignant. “Look,” I said, “my mom made the lunch. She knows about the trip!” Again, I was told I couldn’t go. I threw my lunch in the general direction of the teacher, uttered something to indicate my extreme displeasure and stormed out of the room like the whole thing was her fault!

I have since learned that it comes naturally to blame our mistakes on others. True maturity, however, deals in truth—not only the truth about our strengths, but also the painful facts about our weaknesses. Oh, and Mrs. Bateman, wherever you are, please accept my most humble apology. I was wrong.

– Jim Lord