So then why weren't there any apology cards to be found? There were cards for "troubled relationships"...that didn't really apply. These cards were aimed at salvaging broken relationships and I hadn't screwed up that badly, though not for a lack of trying (inadvertently, of course). There were cards there for "difficult times", but all of those were about loss of a job. Where were the apology cards?
As I left the store, the situation with the card really started to bother me. I felt that there was something deeper to this nagging feeling than knowing I had to find some other way to apologize to my sweetheart. Why wouldn't there be any cards for this? People screw up all the time...we're human, that's what we do - we screw up, and then we learn from our mistakes and move on as a better and wiser individual. The questions led me down a path to a place of logic that I didn't like, but couldn't deny. There were no apology cards because people don't say "I'm sorry" anymore. And it goes deeper than that...people don't WANT to say "I'm sorry".
But why? My mind worked backwards to try to trace this anti-apology mindset to its origin. Why wouldn't people want to say I'm sorry? Well, in today's world of "one-up"manship, people who make mistakes are thought to be undesirable, faulty, and overall bad people. They're "screw-ups". Society today looks for perfection. It's a sin to be flawed and make a mistake. Therefore, what do we do when we make a mistake? "The computer crashed because it didn't have a hip enough processor." No, you forgot to update your antivirus definitions and downloaded something you weren't supposed, thereby exposing your hard drive to a virus which NUKED it. You screwed up. "The engine over heated because it's a cheap foreign piece of junk! They don't make them like they used to." Forgot to check the oil again, didn't you? You screwed up. "I sent that report to you yesterday. Didn't you get it? Did the servers lose another one of my files?" No, you never sent the report because you got busy checking your Facebook, Tumblr, and playing Farmville and forgot that the report was due. You screwed up.
People today don't want to be viewed as less desirable, don't want to face the consequences, and therefore take whatever out they can find. Regardless of what they blame it on, they never have to take responsibility for their actions and they never have to say they're sorry.
I remember when part of becoming an adult was being able to take responsibility for your actions. Now, is it any wonder crime rates are so high? Is it any wonder the divorce rate is so high? Kids are being raised to believe that they don't have to take responsibility for their actions. Why do they think this? Because they learn from example, and the adults of today's society don't take responsibility for their actions either.
Well, guess what? I'm not that person. I screw up...on a daily basis most of the time. Why? BECAUSE I'M HUMAN!!! God didn't want perfection or He would have had competition. Does screwing up make me any less of a person? No. In fact, it makes me a better person because I recognize that I've screwed up and I learn what NOT to do next time. Making mistakes is not a sin, it's an opportunity to grow and learn. Until we once again are willing to own up to our mistakes, then we as a society, as a race, as a species, can not grow. We will remain stuck in a loop of self-righteousness and conceit, eventually becoming stagnant and bringing about our own demise.
Like I said before, I'm not that person. I know I screw up and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Sometimes I might be a bit sheepish about it because I did something really stupid, but when it comes to hurting someone I love you better believe I'm going to own up to it if for no other reason than so that I can try to fix the situation. That being said, let me say this to the entire internet and to the one whom it truly matters...I screwed up. I stepped on toes, betrayed trust, and hurt feelings....and I'M SORRY. I didn't mean to do it, and I hope you'll forgive me.
And to everybody, I ask you this...are you as unwilling to say "I'm sorry" to God as you are to your fellow man? While I understand that God is far less judgmental, saying you're sorry for your sins is just as important as saying you're sorry to those you love and who love you. If I were you, I'd start practicing your apologies, because we never know when that final and ultimate apology may be needed.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. - James 5:16 ESV
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