“Whoever undertakes to set themselves up as a judge of Truth and Knowledge is shipwrecked by the laughter of the gods.”-- Albert Einstein

It was a steaming hot summer day when I was driving across the country through the deep and humid south of America. As I walked through the big glass doors of a huge truckstop, an older couple and their grandson came out. I looked down at the clean but shabbily dressed little boy and smiled. He made his hand into a gun shape, pointed it at me and said "BANG! You are dead old lady, because I killed you!"

I was stunned. I managed to mutter out "How rude!", but I didn't know if the family heard, or for that matter, cared. I walked into the restaurant, found the restroom and proceeded to mentally castigate the grandparents for negligent parenting.

I thought about what a slipshod world we live in. I knew my folks would never have tolerated such behavior from me -- especially to a grown-up who had done them no harm. We had a kind of blue-collar hubris that made us want to be even better mannered than "the rich folks".

This is why the world is screwed up, I thought. No manners. No common courtesy. Kids running wild.

By the time I finished washing my hands, I had a head of steam up. The little boy had obviously triggered off some old childhood memory of bullies. This anonymous little urchin had managed to embody every playground bully I had ever known. (There were plenty. ) I was not just irritated, I was reliving an old hurt, but unconsciously, so it wrongly felt like righteous indignation. I had personalized it, when it had nothing to do with me.

I walked out of the restroom and heard a woman's voice calling out "M'am, M'am!" I looked over and there was the grandmother and her grandson. I turned to them, puzzled.

"M'am, my grandson has something to say to you."

With that the boy stepped forward, looking at his shoes. "I am sorry for what I said. It was a bad thing. I shouldn't a'done it. Would you take my apology?"

"I will if you look me in the eye right now."

He raised his head slowly.

"Honey, anyone can say a bad thing. That is the easy part. But it takes a very good boy to make things right. You just did a very good, very grown up thing, and I thank you and accept your apology. Will you shake my hand?"

We shook hands, and he looked relieved.

The grandmother spoke. "Thank you, M'am. My husband and me are raising the boy up, and sometimes it is hard to teach him the right way to go."

"It looks like you are doing a very good job. Thank you so much for doing this. It really means a lot."

I gave her a quick little hug and we were both on our way, off in different directions.

Here is what I asked G-d as I drove off:

Please help me not be so quick to judge. Please turn me away from assuming that what is on the surface is the truth of the situation. Wake me up to the hardships of others, and leave me open to the redemption of a situation. Humble me, forgive me and protect me from my own righteous outrage that puts blinders on my heart and makes me forget to love. And, please watch over this special little family that taught me so much.

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Mata H, CE for Religion and Spirituality, also blogs her way through life on her home blog, called Time's Fool