Poem: On coming to terms with getting it wrong
Poet Jonathan Krogh, with a soft touch, lays bare the awkward process of coming to realize that he's been mistaken, and has unfairly otherized those who had disagreed with him. From the Pastor's blog, First Presbyterian Church, La Grange, IL, website.
A Confession
One disagreed with me today,
didn’t like what I had to say;
spoke her mind and walked away.
I thought a bit about her retort,
how her sad life made her that sort,
opposing me as last resort.
I smugly dissed her opposition,
thinking error in her position,
that she would treat me with suspicion.
With that my thoughts were all of me,
and thinking all the ways I see
complexity, not simplicity.
That ended that, I clearly thought;
if she had stayed, I’d overwrought
the evidence of her blinded spot.
But later on, I saw some news
that called to doubt my certain views
and all my confidence defuse.
I now saw how her correction
was not a gap in her perception,
but mine was stuck in misconception.
So, now I’m left with awkward feeling;
should I go back to her revealing
a humble heart to seek real healing?
Or double down on ignorance
and find new ways in my defense
to insure no recompense?
How sad for me that I belong
among the folk who must prolong
the words, “You’re right and I was wrong”.
Read the whole thing here.
Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity
We prize letters from our thoughtful readers. Typed on a Smith Corona. Written in longhand on fine stationery. Scribbled on a napkin. Hey, even composed on email. Feel free to send your comments to us at opportunitynowsv@gmail.com or (snail mail) 1590 Calaveras Ave., SJ, CA 95126. Remember to be thoughtful and polite. We will post letters on an irregular basis on the main Opp Now site.