At lunch I was in Taco Bell and waiting for my order when I noticed a cute little girl in pigtails plucking out napkins from the dispenser. I quit counting after six. She walked happily back to her table and set the napkins down, then waited while her father picked up their order. He returned with the food and gave her some trash to throw away. I stood behind the bin as she pushed the garbage in with both hands. As she tried to remove her hands, the wooden trash flap pinched her fingers tight. With panic in her eyes, she cried out, “Daddy!” The more she pulled the tighter it pinched.
I reached over from the other side and pushed the flap so she could remove her hands. She bashfully looked away and dashed back to daddy. Without words, the father gave me a thank-you smile, to which I gave him a no-problem smile in return.
It struck me how simple it would have been for her to just push the flap up and release herself. But she was young and panicked during a stressful unknown situation. As adults we think we are smarter and say we wouldn’t panic in such obvious conditions, but that’s not true. We sabotage ourselves all the time without even realizing we are doing it. This event reminded me of a Politician who lied to cover up his misdeed, blaming others in the process. In the end, he paid dearly for it, losing credibility, trust, and ultimately his job. Maybe it was just his self defensive mechanism inside that went awry. Please don’t think you’re immune. Any of us could make the same mistake. Whether it be an offense with your spouse, friend, or boss, the simple and best solution is to always come clean as quickly as possible. Of course, coming clean with the truth will hurt more than a pinch on our hands, but it hurts far less and will limit self inflicted damage in the long run.
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