The Bolt

The CN community hall was packed with friends and family. Part way through the event came my time to play; I was fairly nervous but bound and determined to do a good job. A chair was set out in the middle of the hall and I sat on it, just me and my guitar, facing a crowd of people with my grandparents sitting and smiling in the front.

The performance ended up being quite moving; everyone was silent, and the sound of the guitar filled the hall. After it was over, a reverberating round of applause let me know that it was well-received, and the expression on my grandparent's faces told me that they appreciated this little part of their celebration. I was ecstatic.

After the excitement had died down and people had moved on to other activities, my aunt Mary came up and said, "that was wonderful, you played really well!"

Sadly, my response to her was, "I know."

Her face immediately registered disappointment and disgust, and she said, "that's an entirely inappropriate response. When someone pays you a compliment, you should accept it gracefully. You have just ruined the moment."

Wow. What a shock. I did not know what to say, so I just stood there staring at her. Eventually I managed to mutter, "I'm sorry", but it was quite obviously too late for that.

I have to thank my aunt Mary for that. To this day, when someone pays me some special compliment, I am always gracious and humble. Every single time. Even when it kills me not to joke about it.

I told my aunt Mary this exact story a few months ago, and I wasn't surprised to learn that she had completely forgotten the incident. She then apologized for being so hard with me at the time. I wouldn't accept that apology - I knew that I needed that lesson.

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.