The Tape Measure
Early in life, I was still in grade school. I don’t remember exactly which grade, but it was during a math lesson. The teacher was explaining measurements—quarter inch, half inch, three-quarters inch—and had brought several measuring tools to demonstrate. There was a yardstick, a simple 12-inch ruler, a 12-foot tape measure, and a 100-foot tape measure.
When she started talking about the 12-foot tape measure, it was all very simple for me. I’d been working with tape measures since I was five. I understood them completely. But when she began explaining the 100-foot tape measure, I raised my hand and told her that my father had a 500-foot tape measure.
She said I must be mistaken. “They don’t make such a thing,” she told me. “A 100-foot tape measure is as long as they come.”
I strongly disagreed. I insisted that my father had a 500-foot tape measure. I hadn’t seen the teacher actually hold the 100-foot tape measure yet, but my pride was already invested. My defiance became stubbornness, my reluctance to back down fueled by selfishness—I didn’t want to be embarrassed in front of the class. I justified my actions in my own mind, insisting that Dad did have a 500-foot tape measure and that we used it to measure around foundations, which was wildly impossible.
When she finally held up the 100-foot tape measure, I realized she was right—my dad’s tape measure was 100 feet, not 500. But by then, the debate had already raged for 60 or 90 seconds. The teacher eventually sat down, almost with tears in her eyes, and the rest of the class looked at me in astonishment. I had forced the teacher to back down.
I felt overwhelming guilt. When the bell rang, I walked down the school stairs toward home. Once outside, the anxiety took over. I knew I was wrong and owed her an apology, but I couldn’t summon the courage to go back in.
I grieve that moment now, as I did then. Pride and selfishness can drive us to actions we know, deep down, are wrong. But it’s in those moments that courage matters. It isn’t even required that the other person grudges you—they judge, and a sincere apology can change the course of both your lives.
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Pride and selfishness can blind us to the truth, even when evidence is right in front of us. Recognizing our mistakes takes courage but strengthens character.
- A sincere apology does not weaken you; it restores trust, shifts perspective, and can transform relationships.
Proverbs
- Proverbs 12:15 – “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
- Proverbs 15:1 – “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
- Proverbs 28:13 – “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
Nuggets of Wisdom
- Pride and selfishness can blind us to the truth, even when evidence is right in front of us. Recognizing our mistakes takes courage but strengthens character.
- A sincere apology does not weaken you; it restores trust, shifts perspective, and can transform relationships.
Proverbs
- <strong>Proverbs 12:15</strong> – “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice.”
- <strong>Proverbs 15:1</strong> – “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
- <strong>Proverbs 28:13</strong> – “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
There is a companion workbook for this story. Open the workbook (PDF).