A nineteenth-century folktale tells about a person who went about slandering the town�s wise man. One day, he went to the wise man�s home and asked for forgiveness. The wise man, realizing that this man had not internalized the gravity of his transgressions, told him that he would forgive him on one condition: that he go home, take a feather pillow from his house, cut it open, scatter the feathers to the wind and return to the wise man's house when done. Though puzzled by this strange request, the man was happy to be let off with so easy a penance. He quickly cut up the pillow, scattered the feathers and returned to the house.
�Am I now forgiven?� he asked.
�Just one more thing,� the wise man said. �Go now and gather up all the feathers.�
�But that�s impossible. The wind has already scattered them.�
�Precisely,� he answered. �And it is as impossible to repair the damage done by your words as it is to recover the feathers. Your words are out there in the marketplace, spreading hate, even as we speak.�
MY NEW YEAR� RESOLUTION:
This year, every chance I get..... I will shake my tail feathers, not scatter them!
