Thursday, October 04, 2012

Craigslist Mea Culpa


Admitting personal wrongdoing and expressing remorse --saying sorry-- is an important part of healthy forgiveness. Of course our faith is based on the forgiving love of God in Christ and we are invited to respond with heartfelt repentance and the commitment to become new persons.

I never thought of Craigslist as a venue for expressing regret and seeking forgiveness, but it was recently. The mea culpa below explains it. A guy gives a cyclist what is known as the "door prize" and while he apologized at the time he uses Craigslist Missed Connections to go a step further.

In case you need any reminder, you were biking along College when I stepped out of a cab and doored you. The short end of it is that I had been struggling to both pay and get the door open for some time when finally the cab driver unlocked it and I jolted the door open. I was stupid, stupid, stupid and I should've looked out and checked that there wasn't anyone behind me. But I didn't do that and, as a result, I probably messed up your night, possibly your week and hopefully not your life...

Long story short, I'm sorry I made you fall. I'm sorry for the panic that having a cab door fly out and hit you caused you. You may've not been thrown to kingdom come but the shock of taking that sudden tumble couldn't have been great to experience. It sucks, I sucked. If there is any damage to your bike - something I neglected to double check at the time - please get in touch with me and I will gladly pay for it.

The last thing I want is for you to be freaked out while biking in this city so I thought I would throw you this missed connection to apologize more thoroughly. Hope this message finds you alright and I hope you're feeling better!!!!

How are you when it comes to apologizing? Is "I'm sorry" part of your vocabulary? What do you think of using the internet to apologize.

Apparently not everyone loves Marineland. Take a look.
http://groundlingearthyheavenly.blogspot.ca/2012/10/not-everyone-loves-marineland.html

4 comments:

IanD said...

I'm all over the apology when I need to do so. I have no problem attoning for my numbskullery, and like to think most people I know would do the same.

Great story, this. Good on the guy for going so far to make ammends.

roger said...

I like to think I can apologize when necessary.

These days, it seems that the guy who gave the door prize to the cyclist...rather than apologize, would more likely be angry with the cyclist for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or for almost hitting him! Or maybe I'm just cynical.

I think we all know people who will never apologize, no matter what. That is a very unattractive trait.

I love this story about the apology going online!

Laura said...

It may sound cynical Roger, but it seems we live in a fairly egocentric time, and perpitrators become victims by rationalizing their action and then no apologies are needed.
I recall as a kid how hard I found it to apologize...thinking I might just stay in my room forever rather than saying sorry. My 9 year old prefers to write a note of apology for me to find when she wants to say sorry rather than choking out the words. I hope I have gotten better at it as an adult...makes me wonder about our human nature though..
Read somewhere recently that for your own inner peace sometimes you have to just accept an apology for yourself that will never be given, so to let go of the angst of feeling wronged. Been thinking about that...but think an internet apology would be more satisfying.

sjd said...

I think it's great that he took the time to appologise. It looks genuine, and heart felt.
I would hesitate to do the same thing espically in Toronto. This appology can also be taken as a confesion. It would make a law suit harder to fight. It really was a wrong place wrong time deal tat could happen to anybody, but that doesn't stop people from persuing financial gain.