Editor’s Notes

Throughout life, we all experience revelations. While these revelations typically stem from major life events or from inspirational books, people or even movies, they can also be sparked by smaller, seemingly insignificant moments. I’d wager that the last time you headed into the store with a return, you simply went about your business without experiencing any mind-blowing epiphanies. I, on the other hand, did experience one the last time I returned a purchased good.

Product in hand, I realized that our return habits say a lot about us as a society. Let me explain.

If you are fortunate enough to have traveled the Earth extensively, you may know that returning purchased goods is a lot easier — and far more commonplace — in America than it is in many other countries. (Feel free to dive into the discussion if you’ve had experiences returning products in other corners of the world). Obviously, this is a direct reflection of our country’s excellent customer service. However, it’s also a reflection of a society that allows one to make, and amend, mistakes.

How does that apply to more real world experiences? How about celebrities or public figures who have made huge mistakes — sometimes even embarrassing themselves extensively — only to stage a comeback. My goal here isn’t to turn this into a gossip column, so I’ll refrain from naming any names. Still, some of these people come back far stronger than they were before. In other words, a large number of fans forgive or forget (sometimes both), allowing these people to reignite their careers.

On a more personal note, I’d like to confess that I’ve had a difficult time turning 50 (you may have been able to tell from recent outfits I’ve sported). While perusing the pictures of these outfits myself, I’ve had a hard time trying to imagine an event where I could have gotten away with wearing them and cannot come up with any such event. Well, with the exception of Halloween where I may have gone as a ghost of my disco years… Perhaps I’m too hard on myself. I think we’re all often too hard on ourselves. We’re certainly harder on ourselves than we are on other people.

So, the next time you head to the store with a return, ponder the ways in which your friends, family, business partners or even society have given you a second chance for any past transgressions and mistakes. And try not to be so hard on yourself in other areas of your life.

By Mirela Gluck