<p>I just got finished watching a segment on Good Morning America about a woman who cheated on a H.S. English test 47 years ago. Although she graduated, went on to college, became an RN, married, had children and grandchildren the sense of guilt ha never left her. She wrote a letter to her old high school to confess her cheating so that students today will not cheat, because the guilt will always be there.</p>
<p>thoughts??</p>
<p>gee, there is so much I could be guilty over, something that happened 47 years ago should not have caused such a reaction unless I saw how things deteriorated from then to the modern age. Maybe she did and wanted to make an example of it.</p>
<p>While in general, I don’t like to applaud those who do the wrong or unethical thing, I do applaud this woman because she has redeemed herself and been contrite, which shows that although you make mistakes in judgement or character, there is an opportunity to redeem oneself and do the right thing. I think this action is a good thing because she used her mistake and guilt over that error to then turn it into a positive message to younger folks. She hopefully showed them that a lie or cheat incident can stay with you in terms of guilt and why it felt wrong. As I mentioned, I hesitate to give kudos for doing something wrong but at least she showed regret and used the incident to do something positive. I wonder if she affected some high schoolers when she spoke or I guess she supposedly just wrote a letter? I did not see the story. I would say she maybe should speak to students about regrets over such lapses in honesty. It is something that this cheating on a test would still have stayed in her conscience so many years later! </p>
<p>Susan</p>
<p>LOL. That’s odd.</p>
<p>… and that is why you shall never “embellish” on your college apps 
I think the grandma had nothing better to do with her time. Or maybe she got saved and got told that lieing is a sin, so she went out telling the truth for all that she did wrong. I, personally, do not feel any type of guilt for whatever cheating/lieing I did when 5 years ago, lets not even mention 47.</p>
<p>Personally, I feel guilty the most over how I treated people in the past and over people who are dead now. For example, my departed mother-in-law. But an English test 47 years ago? Nah…</p>
<p>I feel guilty over cheating on a 5th grade spelling test. I didn’t remember how to spell the word “guard,” and cheated by looking at my friend Barbara’s paper.</p>
<p>This is the truth. I still feel bad about it. I feel bad enough not to have ever cheated again on a test. I don’t feel so guilty about it, though, that I would write a letter to my elementary school to confess.</p>
<p>I am very impressed that she can even remember something she did 47 years ago.
I get double the enjoyment out of my mystery book collection because I can’t remember the plot line of a book I read 3 years ago.
I certainly don’t remember details of exams in school. ;)</p>
<p>When I was 9, I wrote a letter (untruthful) to Cracker Jack telling them that there was no prize in the box of Cracker Jacks that I bought. I was hoping that they’d send me some free prizes, which they did. Whenever I pass a box of Cracker Jacks in the grocery store, I still feel a twinge of guilt about my fraud! (Never told the board of bar examiners about my elementary school criminal past though!)</p>
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<p>Northstarmom … I can totally relate … as I entered my 40s a few things I did when I was younger started to bother me and I tried to make amends for them. Most involved apologizing to some people for mean or inapproriate behavior from my youth. A few were attempts to make restitution for mistakes in my past … including writing letters of apologies and including a donation (an attempt at restitution) in a couple instances when I stole things as a kid.</p>
<p>I have few regrets … but the ones I have bugged me for 30+ years (not killing me but bugging me a few times a year). So everytime I see an entry about pushing the line or doing something becasue is is legally allowable although of questionable ethics … I always fallback to what my conscience will do to me for years … which takes me back to doing the right thing (thanks Mom!).</p>
<p>Or said another way (and one of my favorite quotes) … the true test of character is what you do when no one is watching. For me the times I have failed this test have bugged me for 30+ years!</p>
<p>Then again, there is the situation with Harold and Kumar at a traffic in the dead of night on a deserted back road in NJ, and Harold doesn’t want to cross before the signal. Kumar browbeats him into stepping off the curb, and (naturally) a cruiser roars up and the Cop From Hell arrests him on the spot.</p>
<p>Emeraldkitty, as I mentioned above, I do marvel that this “infraction” from elem school was on this woman’s conscience all these years later but you also brought up something I also was marveling at…the fact that she even remembers this from elem school! </p>
<p>Still, if making amends helps her, I’m all for it. And better yet, if she can impart on some young kids how she regretted this act of a lack of “ethics”, maybe she will impact them in a positive way. </p>
<p>We all make mistakes in life and some have made ones bigger than this woman’s. You can make amends and you can live life without regrets. This woman obviously had quite a case of regret or guilt. So maybe this latest act cleared her mind, who knows. Obviously it is an unusual act 47 years later or it would not have made the news, lol. </p>
<p>The rest of us, well, we are not listing every infringement we ever made, nor can most of us recall these from elem school! And I’m not even a grandma yet!
Susan
PS, I’m the type that tends to live without regrets for stuff in the past.</p>
<p>emeraldkity, lol. Same with movies that are a couple years old.</p>
<p>A correction to my earlier post is that I did not notice that her exam cheating was in HS, not elem, but remembering even that is something all these years later.</p>
<p>I do have things from my childhood that I feel bad about. Picking up a dime from my second-grade class floor that I know belonged to Victoria Taylor. Being mean to a clown that was trying to cheer me up (I was on crutches) at my dad’s workplace Christmas party. Taking a dollar from my mother’s dresser drawer and using it to buy candy. Those are all things I regret doing, but I know they were wrong and I wouldn’t do them again. I don’t feel so guilty that I need to go on national t.v. to confess, but I do applaud the woman who felt it necessary for her to do so.</p>
<p>I feel cheated by the education I received in school.</p>
<p>I’m waiting for an apology from the New York City school board.</p>
<p>Emerald–same here. In fact, was having a conversation with my dad about Prince Charles’ and Camilla’s romance, and he said it was sort of like the book Wuthering Heights. And I had to confess that I don’t remember a thing about Wuthering Heights, which I read in high school. In fact, I’m thinking I might reread it now. And another thing-- how come my dad has a better memory than me? He graduated high school in 1948! </p>
<p>The other thing is, when I talk to people about the past, even my own children, they remember things I’ve done or said (allegedly) that I have no memory of. So I sometimes end up saying something like “I said THAT? I’m sorry.” Oh well, the guilt burden is somewhat less, I guess, when you have a memory like mine.</p>
<p>My thoughts are that Gramma should have just shut up and lived with herself. She made herself feel better be confessing but spreads the message to kids that everyone cheats, even gramma, and you can always confess 47 years later and it will be ok. She should also turn in her HS diploma and professional credentials.</p>
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<p>Hmm … to me the message was … everyone makes mistakes and it’s never too late to admit your mistakes and to stand up and deal with the possible consequences … but that’s just me</p>
<p>How do people remember this stuff? I don’t even remember what I had for breakfast. I don’t even think I have a long term memory.</p>