Monday; June 18

          While on vacation last week I opened my car door and struck the mirror/turn signal on the vehicle next to me.  As I looked at the other vehicle I found a minor scratch on the turn signal lens which I may (or may not) have caused.   Now, here is where my story gets personal – what should I do?  I wish that I could say that I came to a quick and decisive decision, but I don’t want to add lying to the mix.  I thought about walking away because, after all, there wasn’t substantial damage (if any), but then words like integrity, civility and neighborly came to mind.  At this point the emotional challenge wasn’t as much about “was I going to get caught” or “am I civilly liable for the damage” as much as it was “what was the most right thing to do”.   Again, I would love to be able to say that I immediately took the highest ground, but it took me some emotional processing to get to where I felt comfortable leaving a note on the car.  Sure, had there been immediately visible damage, my decision would have been easier, but there wasn’t.  I could have gotten away with it, but does that define who I want to be?
          Sometimes I believe I tend to over-analyze things (I am sure there is a word for that), but it does challenge me to strive toward a higher level.  I can’t tell you what would have been the right decision for you, but for me it was to confront the situation.  I don’t know what will become of my quandary – hopefully the other person will agree there was no damage – but, more than anything I hope they will realize there are still some conscientious people in our world and maybe that will help maintain their faith in mankind.  The other day a friend of mine sent me a quote attributed to TobyMac that said, “Be the reason that someone believes in the goodness of people.”.  Maybe I that was my day to able to do just that.
          Think About It

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