There has been a lot of time passed since the offenses occurred. Years in fact. The offenses are stacked up and have been forgotten.
Until that still small Voice reminded me of them today.
You see, I have become what, at one time, I would have been impatient with, annoyed at, and critical of.
When I was younger, I expected those who were older, ( about the age I am now), to have it all together. They should have life experiences that made them wise. They should be able to deal with life’s problems and bring about quick solutions. I found little excuse for people who let things be, who didn’t butt heads with error.
A quick mind and sure memory were things I thought little about, it was natural to me. WAS being the key word.
I am not as old as Methuselah, but I am not young anymore either. I notice that I no longer have the capacities to multitask. I don’t recall information quickly. I dont recall details, and I am apt to forget absolutely any thing and any one. I am quite sure I probably repeat myself, ask the same questions, and tell the same stories.
Ugh.
So I apologize. To whomever I once patronized for being slow to learn something new.
I apologize to those who missed the turn on the highway. To the ones who didn’t see that the light had turned green, and the ones who were watching traffic around them and were too slow to get thru the intersection before the light turned red.
I regret my impatience with drivers who couldn’t figure out which lane they needed to be in, even in spite of the painted arrows on the highway.
I apologize to the shoppers in line in front of me who waited until the checker was completely finished before they thought to dig out their check, cash, or card.
I regret my disdain when older people told me the tales of their youth and I was uninterested and bored at having to hear the same story again.
I am sorry that I may have left some older person out of the loop, too busy to be bothered or slowed down.
I wonder how many hurt feelings I have left behind, how many time I have assumed all was well, when in fact it was not. I wonder how many times I sped thru the hours of my day and looked right past people who mattered more than I gave them credit.
I know now how that feels.
At this point, it is me who is missing their turn and having to make the block and go back. I am the one forgetting how often I have told you that story. I am the one that has to have everything I need to remember written down. I am the one that would appreciate being shown that they have value and worth. Not an ego boost, but simply acknowledged. Not pampered, but not ignored and overlooked.
