Essay: Anecdotes of good will misconstruing

There certainly is in this world many examples of bad will misconstruing. Contrarily, there is also the misconstruing and misunderstanding that comes as a result of incomplete knowledge and inexperience. On this notion, Franz Kafka once said, "All human errors are impatience, a premature breaking off of methodical procedure, an apparent fencing-in of what is apparently at issue." This page is devoted to these real-life anecdotes, be they "first" or "second" person, in good hopes that understanding of this phenomena bring modulation and creativity and loving-kindness.

• Many years ago, as was my habit, I got up in the morning, and having gone into the bathroom, I noticed that I had blood on my balding head, from what, I know not. Reaching out to the toilet paper, as is common in these situations when a man has cut his face while shaving, I wadded the paper in a rather large ball and pressed it to the cut on my head to stop the bleeding. Forgetting about it, I hastily dressed in my black clericals and collar, I went to my favorite place for breafast, in those days, to McDonalds. Standing on line, I noticed people turning away from me, I didn't know why, and when it was my turn, I put in my order to the little lady serving me. Having my breakfast, I went to a table to eat, and after having eaten I went to the bathroom. I bent over to wash my hands, and as I stood erect I looked in the mirror and saw this bald-headed priest staring back at me, and then I understood why people on the lines waiting to be served were turning away from me. Mortified I went to the little lady that had served me and asked why she hadn't told me. Her answer, "I thought it was a new religious rite!" From all this, I learned that it is really quite easy to invent a new religious tradition - Bert Schlossberg

• Humor can be created by an good willed and intentional fostering of a "misaprehension" a misconstruing. Here is that sort of build up of a misconstruing, funny along the way, but at the end, when the truth is revealed, that is, the deception exposed, the humor comes into full force and completion. This is a sort of "visual" anecdote - [1]