|
|
|
There was a woman named Mary who, while in the checkout line at a grocery store, witnessed the cashier's rude behavior towards the shopper before her. When it was Mary's turn at the register, she noticed that the cashier accidentally overcharged her for an item, and so Mary brought it to the woman's attention. Her face contorted, the cashier snatched the ticket, stamped it, made the corrections, etc., snatched Mary's money and dismissed her. On the way to the car, Mary said to the young man who helped her carry her groceries, "That was the rudest checker I've ever met!" The guy responded aplogetically, "I know. But she's a single mother and her little boy was hit by a car while riding his bicycle yesterday, and he's in Intensive Care, and she feels that she has to work to pay the hospital bill when she'd rather be there with him, and although she's trying hard not to show it, I know she's really scared right now." As Mary drove away, an amazing thing happened. She realized she wasn't angry anymore; in fact, she felt compassion. Because she knew the cashier's story, she was able to find forgiveness -- a change in perception that causes an authentic change of heart. I'd heard this story on Maryland Public Television a couple of weeks ago, but it wasn't until I read the Vens Critiques update for 8/12/00 that it really hit home. The author had pointed out so many improvements to As the World Turns -- improvements I'd missed because I was focused on what I don't like. Former head writer Leigh Leiman, in my opinion, did not have a good concept of As the World Turns. But I also don't know her personal story. I'm willing to bet that if I did, I'd still be dissatisfied with her tenure, but I wouldn't judge her as harshly. There's a saying that unwillingness to forgive is like picking up a hot coal and saying, "I'm going to throw this coal at my enemies," never realizing that the person holding the coal is most seared. Fellow soap opera fans, as much as it pains me, Douglas Marland is gone and there's nothing we can do to bring him back. Yes, the head writers who've succeeded him have made As the World Turns nearly unrecognizable. But let's forgive them and give Hogan Scheffer a fair chance -- not for his sake, but for ours.
|
|
|