The red mark on my car

On a very windy Sunday a couple of weeks ago, I went shopping for home improvement materials.

After making my purchases and checking out, I returned to my car. The young lady in the car next to me, popped out of her car and started speaking with me.

She informed me that when her daughter was getting out of the back of the car, their car door had banged into mine, leaving a one-inch long red mark on my white car. (I hadn’t even made it to the door yet to notice because she approached me so quickly.)

She apologized and told me that she tried to wipe off the mark but it wasn’t coming off and she was preparing her insurance information for me.

I stopped her at that moment and told her not to worry about it. She asked if I was sure and she continued to apologize. Once again, I told her not to worry about it and we parted ways.

I wanted to write about this incident so that I could thank this woman publicly. It’s not that I wanted a very visible red mark on my car by any means, but I’ve lived in Rock Springs for over 18 years and as we all know there are some really windy days here.

I, myself, have had my own car doors swing open so violently when I was trying to get in or out of the car that I thought the doors would literally come off completely.

More important than the mark now on my car was the impression this young woman left on me. She reminded me of a very important ideal that I do try to live by.

I truly believe that what determines the worth of any person, is what that person does when no one is watching. This woman and her daughter could’ve easily driven away and no one would’ve been the wiser.

I still would’ve noticed the mark, but I would’ve had no way of figuring out what had happened to my car. No one would’ve known …except this women and her daughter of course.

Obviously, she believes in doing what’s right and good, even if it’s the hard thing to do. So she and her daughter waited for me, fully expecting to pay for the damage that had occurred.

We all make mistakes. I make several every day even though my intentions are good.

But, if it’s a mistake that I can fix, I need to fix it. It’s hard for many of us to take blame. We don’t like to admit wrongdoings, shortcomings or failures.

We are sometimes very quick to point our fingers at others when they “mess up,” but make excuses for ourselves when things don’t go according to our own plans. Taking responsibility, especially by looking someone in the eye and saying, “I’m sorry,” can be hard, but then again, doing the right thing isn’t always easy.

I have no plans to get rid of that red mark on my car. It’s not that I really wanted it there and I’m not saying I’d be happy to see my car vandalized or all dinged up. However, in this case, the mark will now be a reminder to my family and me that doing what’s right and good, no matter what, and especially when no one’s watching is always the right thing to do.

The mark on my car made a lasting impression on my car, but most importantly on me.