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But there were plenty of spaces...

It is hard to admit it, but it is true. I did the wrong thing.
Wed 22 Aug 2012
Alt

It is hard to admit it, but it is true. I did the wrong thing. Just last week I got a parking fine. I’ve been very surprised at my own reaction this. A parking fine is hardly a big deal but none the less I’ve been in denial.

When I first saw the ticket I was grumpy. How could they bother to give a parking ticket to someone at 7:30am in the morning, especially when there were still spaces around? That was my first justification.

My next response was to think, ‘Why are the police wasting their time with parking tickets? Why aren’t they doing some actual police work!’ Earlier I’d seen the police car slowly cruise down the street on and I had thought ‘I hope they aren’t looking at parking’. Though I kind of knew they must be given the street and their lack of speed. Justification number two just cruised past.

But I’m a good citizen was my next move. I started thinking about how so often I had done the right thing in the past; even paying for parking for my motorbike when I could have easily gotten away with a freebie. ‘I’ve done the right thing these other times so why does this time count against me?’

It took me most of the day to reconcile myself to the fact that I’d done the wrong thing. Sure, a small thing, but the wrong thing. And that I had to stop trying to prove to myself that I had not done the wrong thing when I had. It was very hard to admit that I had done the wrong thing and I still need to pay the fine.

How hard is it for you to admit when you’ve done the wrong thing?

Comments

  • Alt
    Tue, 11/09/2012 - 7:32pm reply

    When it comes to things like parking tickets I think "right" and "wrong" might not be the best way of looking at it. It's is more a question of conforming or not conforming. Ultimately I'd like to not conform to certain "laws" that the governing bodies have no right to enforce but "so not to offend" and because I don't want to have to pay fines I conform.

    When it comes to true right and wrong your last sentence was enough on it's own and it raises the point that the words "I was wrong" are some of the hardest words for humans to say, despite the fact that doing so usually is followed by a profound growth in spirit.

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