When I made a tricky turn out of the Home Depot parking lot this morning, I pulled in front of a speeding minivan. She honked at me, of course, to inform me of her displeasure at having to slow down. I honked back and waved to let her know I was sorry, but somehow I think she may have misinterpreted what I was trying to say.
Why don't we have a quick and easy hand signal to say "I'm sorry"? We have a signal to say "Go screw yourself, you're an idiot anyhow", why not a signal to say "I'm sorry that my actions inconvenienced you, but I didn't mean to be hurtful and I won't do it again"? It might stop some road rage.
Dogs hide their tail between their legs and rub their heads on the ground when they are sorry. This keeps the rest of the pack from tearing them apart.
If cats have a signal to say they're sorry, I've never seen it.
Here is a poem by Stevie Smith about forgiveness, which doesn't have a lot to do with driving sins, but I like it.
Forgive me, forgive me
Forgive me forgive me my heart is my own
And not to be given for any man’s frown
Yet would I not keep it for ever alone.
Forgive me forgive me I thought that I loved
My fancy betrayed me my heart was unmoved
My fancy too often has carelessly roved.
Forgive me forgive me for here where I stand
There is no friend beside me no lover at hand
No footstep by mine in my desert of sand.
Stevie Smith
