Article November 19, 1990 Issue

Overcoming self-pity

All of us from time to time face situations that don't work out as we had expected. Prayer and turning to God can do much to help us through these times.

Kathleen Marianne North

A Young woman was parking her car in a busy street. It was a station wagon, and she had overshot a large parking space that would have taken her car. As she turned around, ready to back up, a smaller car drew up behind her. She opened her door, indicated her intention to go into the large parking space, and pointed to a smaller space ahead into which this man could put his car. "Wasn't this a good idea?" she thought.

The man obviously thought otherwise and told her to hurry up and move on, as she had missed the space and he was in a hurry to get into it! She gave in and with effort squeezed her car into the smaller space. Even though a parking space is certainly a small issue, she was so embarrassed by his unreasonable behavior—and angry too—that she felt unable to think clearly in order to do her shopping.

Then these feelings of self-pity swung in another direction, and she began to feel patronizingly sorry for him. Perhaps he's unhappy, tired, or unwell, she thought. But this did not bring peace of mind or stop the agitation.

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