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Moral Moments

First Person, Second Person, Third Person

by Joel Marks

I had just begun to tell a story to my traveling companion – call him Earl – when he interrupted with no fewer than four questions about what had happened. Surprised by his outburst of impatience, I exclaimed, “Wait a minute! That’s just what I’m going to tell you about!” But then he surprised me even more by erupting in anger, saying that I had no right to be angry with him, because he had said nothing on several occasions when I had interrupted him. With a cynical “Whatever you say, Earl,” I wrenched my own emotions back from the abyss of escalating discord, and proceeded to tell the rest of the story as if nothing had intervened. Fortunately, Earl let it drop as well, and resumed to be engrossed in the story.

This sort of thing is not a rare occurrence for Earl and me.

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