I've just had a rather interesting talk with my wife, who sides with BL's observation and comment on my "It was worse" wording in the prior post. We talked at length about how "zealous" my own position and comments can be as well. And I've had a couple of other "like-natured" chats with other friends and family over the course of the past few weeks. This all has me reflecting on a couple of points, namely being what I'm doing this website for in the first place, and the other being the toes I've stepped on recently as well as over the course (or should that be "coarse") of my life. I'll address the latter here and the former in a separate post.
Now, I'm not saying I've plowed through this life time with no regard for anybody along the way. Far from that. But when I look back, or just "around", there are plenty of things I should apologize for. there are people my words or actions have offended. There has been work I've knowingly done half-assed out of lack of commitment or interest. There have been occasional and unintentional incidents of neglect, disrespect, or perhaps a general lack of consideration. In most cases, the opportunity to extend the gesture of an apology has long passed, and in others, the opportunity is still within my grasp. So I'll start here with an open apology to, well, to everybody.
I'm over 40. I've had plenty of time to step on lots of toes, and to offend many people through the years. Some of these offenses were simply the product of youth, such as making an off-color joke without considering how it might be taken. Other youthful omissions of consideration were more selfish, and a few bad decisions haunt me to this very day. There are many situations that come to mind.
I don't believe that I've ever intentionally set out to cause any harm to another, but I have made choices and taken actions that ultimately have done so. In some cases, there's little I can do besides say I'm sorry that things went that way, and in other cases, were I able to have a do-over, I'd change things around and not have the same outcome. In some cases I take full responsibility, in others, not so much. But I ultimately do recognize that the end results might have been different had I managed things better, communicated more clearly, or just chosen my words with more consideration.
So, for anybody out there that remembers me making a callous joke, offensive statement, not returning a phone call, failing to follow through on a promised action, or any other situation that left them feeling offended or slighted. I apologize.
I'll write more about my revisiting the point of this website another time.