I Apologize for Being Petty

Ok, kids! Here's the lesson of the week: I've come to realize that when I write or tell someone about something that is outrageously frustrating to me - nine times out of ten, it's going to sound petty and ridiculous. (Let this be a lesson to you!). Then I realized It's not just me. Other people's problems often seem petty too... (just hit the "next blog" button...).

Here's what I mean. This week was frustrating to me - I had some issues with a co-worker. I mean - it was a little issue that blew to astronomical proportions for no reason - and somehow I was firmly embedded in the middle. (I should be used to this by now!). I was embarassed for my co-worker - then I made the fatal error of mentioning it to someone else in my company. In the middle of my rant, I started to feel really sheepish... I got a blank stare. To make a long story short, at the end of the next business day, my co-worker came in, I explained. He explained what happened, we apologized - and it was over.

What an amazing thing an apology is!

A few years ago, I was at a writers' conference on Faith & Writing at my alma mater. I loved it. I was inspiried. I came home and re-read all my notebooks. I though carefully about what was said. I read a lot of Anne Lamott. I listened to so much Bruce Cockburn I could become his archivist.... I became very interested in a group of musicians who did a panel discussion about songwriting. I was elated. The subject matter covered there literally changed my life...

Last week I attended a Buddy Miller concert. (Buddy is Emmylou Harris' guitar player.) Honestly, I didn't know much about Miller's music - I was really there to see the opening band, Ollabelle (wow.). Anyway, Buddy's set blew me away - and I was shocked and pleased to see one of the musicians from the writers' conference on stage, playing the Hammond (And. For the record, there's nothing like a Hammond when it's played right!) I approached him after the concert. He was in a hurry, and brushed me off until I told him I'd heard him at that writers' conference. He stopped. Said he hated how he was treated at that conference, and he'd never go there again. He then thanked me for talking to him - and left.

The next day - I sent him an e-mail via his agent and said, "Hey, sorry the administration didn't treat you how you envisioned, but in an effort to redeem the event, I really learned a lot from you, blah-blah-blah..." He sent me a note back - which sort of surprised me. "Thanks for the note, and thanks for liking my music." I don't know if I was being brushed off or not - but I was so sad about meeting someone - and hearing a complaint I had nothing to do with. The nice thing is I could at least remind him that there's another perspective (I became the blank stare...)

Oh well. I guess he's a musician - and we feel things too deeply at times... Maybe we're all too petty.

So I thought I'd tell y'all how much I apologize about being petty - and I give you permission to ask me (in six months) if I'm still being petty. I hope I learned something.