Mistakes Are Just Fine...

...Just don't make excuses.

Here's a thought; having recently had an altercation with a member of the local ski patrol I came to a realization. Nobody wants to hear excuses. Bitterly angry and bickering it struck me that the man in the red jacket before me did not care to hear WHY I had done what I had done, whether from ignorance or malice (It was from ignorance I assure you, dear reader. But, more on that later.), he was merely concerned with my immediate and ongoing cessation of said action.

There is something pure and wholesome about that desire. Personally, when something goes wrong I do not want to hear a litany of events and causes leading up to what went wrong, all I want to hear is a little remorse for the mistake and a genuine promise to not allow any recurrences of the problem. I think that is fair and just--not to mention a big time saver. Armed with that knowledge I want everyone to go out into the world and treat others as they would like to be treated. Everyone makes mistakes. Some are bigger than others, but they still happen. Be understanding. That cannot be too much to ask.

As for the above mention of ignorance-
While often bandied about as some sort of insult meant to make others feel intellectually inferior being ignorant is a horse of a different color. Stupidity is the result of having been educated and then having forgotten. On the other hand being ignorant is the state of never having known, which is a much more excusable offence. As this relates to my day on the slopes yesterday, obviously I have not been keeping abreast of the slow zones on my home mountain as they are multiplying like bunnies in the spring--or third grade math students, you choose whichever analogy you are more comfortable with--but the run that had been designated as "slow" was not in any way marked on the actual mountain. I was incredulous. I was lectured. I was made an example of. And finally, I was let go unscathed, but miffed. Miffed, because I am not a mind reader (also evidently not a trail map reader...) and did not know, somehow without being told, that I was in a slow zone and therefore expected to--get this--SLOW DOWN. I am over it now and have debated sociology, physics, and anatomy over a nice dinner at my father's house, but it did bring something odd to mind...

Awhile back I was watching the MTV and saw a gripping documentary on Brittany...britteny, britny, britain...whatever, that Spears girl. The film crew was following her through the rigors of her latest tour at the time, and let me tell you I was exhausted just watching it all. However, that is beside the point. The point is that young BS was defending her [presumably] friend Jessica Simpson's antics on the television by pointing out that if she was never told about the things in life that she is confused about--which seems to be just about everything at this point...why in one episode she was eating something that she thought to be chicken when in all reality it turned out to be a 1/4 scale model of the Edmund Fitzgerald--how could she be expected to know the difference. Although I have watched this "Newlyweds" program on several occasions and have yet to see any proudly displayed doctorate certificates the point being made is valid. Without prior knowledge how can she be expected to use sound judgment. After all it is fairly easy to confuse a tragically-lost-Great-Lakes-freighter for a bit of shredded chicken. We've all done it. They're both fairly nautical, right? All's I'm saying is that maybe we should be looking more at her father for the reason she's not so bright. The old "keep your attractive and somewhat talented young daughters dumb so you can manage them and live off of them forever" ploy. Seen it a thousand times and it never gets easier to take, let me tell you. Tragic.

So two lessons should be learned here today. 1: If it is your fault, cop to it. "Yeah, I'm sorry about that, I'll try not to let it happen again." Should suffice. If that doesn't cover it try throwing kitty litter in your assailant's face and fleeing through the nearby shrubs. That should work, because there are always kitty litter and shrubs near by...just keep an eye out. 2: Do not confuse ignorance for stupidity. You should gently inform/educate the ignorant, giving them the tools they will need to succeed in later life. You may soundly rap the stupid on the forehead with a framing hammer; they'll thank you for it later [if they get the chance].

Okay. Good talk. Read...BREAK!