Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis for September 24, 2021

No, it doesn’t even sort of count.

Today a left to right strip.

How do you propose to do it, Rat?

Pig: 1

Rat: 0

Today’s background music: “Man in the Mirror” by Michael Jackson.

He who controls the present controls the past. History does not vindicate nothing.

Pig will have to wait until they invent the flux capacitor.

Truth fails not; but her outward forms that bare

The longest date do melt like frosty rime,

It counts if only the recipient is receptive to it!

Yep Pig… stepping up counts. Forgiveness counts. Moving forward counts.

It can not change what has happened. But it can change how the future unfolds.

You’re sorta right, Pig

Never Text an Apology

THE ORIGINAL TEXT MESSAGE:

Hi Bob, This is Alan next door. I’m sorry buddy, but I have a confession to make to you. I’ve been riddled with guilt these past few months and have been trying to work up the courage to tell you to your face, but I am at least now telling in text as I can’t live with myself a moment longer without you knowing.

The truth is I have been sharing your wife, day and night when you’re not around. In fact, probably more than you. I haven’t been getting it at home recently, but that’s no excuse, I know. The temptation was just too much. I can no longer live with the guilt and I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies and forgive me. I promise that it won’t happen again. Please come up with a fee for usage, and I’ll pay you. Regards, Alan

THE ACTIONS:

Bob, feeling insulted and betrayed, grabbed his gun, and shot his neighbor dead. He returned home where he poured himself a stiff drink and sat down on the sofa. He took out his phone where he saw he has a subsequent message from his neighbor.

THE SECOND MESSAGE:

Hi Bob, This is Alan next door again. Sorry about the slight typo on my last text. I expect you worked it out anyway, but as I’m sure you noticed that my auto-correct changed ‘Wi-Fi’ To ‘Wife’. Technology hey?!? Hope you saw the funny side of that. Regards, Alan

Pig can change the perception of the past which can be enough sometimes.

Not so fast, Pig. Neighbour Bob never said sorry for what he did!

Sorta… but not really. We can change the future, though.

You can’t change the past, but you can learn from it and have a better present.

pig’s just trying to pull his bacon out of the fire…

Wouldn’t be surprised if he forgot what he did yesterday.

Awww! Pig did what he thought was right!

A sincere apology most certainly can change one’s perception of the past.

Stephan should appreciate today’s Peanuts strip.

Forgiveness is giving up the hope of a better past.

You can’t change the past, but sometimes you can change how you think about the past.

This has a weird synchrony to a Facebook discussion I was having earlier. Spooky.

An apology can go a long ways, it wont change the past but it can sure change the future result of it.

pig for the win!

We could all learn a lesson from today’s cartoon. Kudos Mr. Pastis!

Reminds me of the claptrap, “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”Once again, Pig scores a big one.

Sorta does……

The art of the apology has been going downhill since January 2017

Repentance and apologies to the offended is always best.

Pig you are the wisest of them all

I’d think a sincere apology would include offering to make good on whatever damage was caused by the action for which one is apologizing. Pig doesn’t seem to be doing that, though since we don’t know what it is he’s apologizing for, we can’t tell if it’s even possible.

Sorta doesn’t.

Past perfect? Tense!

if you change one letter, it becomes “Change the pest”

sorta does

Pig is right, you know, Rat. Although, since Neighbor Bobs are expendable and replaceable, does it really matter?

pig for the win!

“The future is known, the past is always changing”Soviet Union proverb Democratic party guideline

This would be a much better world if we just owned up to our mistakes and apologized when we did it.

We can’t change the past, but we can change our perception of the past. That’s how we can profit from it, and not let it haunt us.