IN RETROSPECT

I couldn't get anything right yesterday.

My granddad used to say "I may not always be right but I ain't never been wrong."

Not me -- I was wrong twice in one day.


First, in getting ready to prepare the Wednesday night meal at church, I looked at the bulletin and found - much to my surprise - that I was supposed to fix filet gumbo instead of file gumbo, a Cajun soup.

Naturally I blamed Pam Sandlin the church secretary at Calvary Hill because things usually are her fault.

But she refused to accept blame, instead showing me the original menu and sure enough -- I had made a typo and told her it was to be "filet" gumbo.

When you have to eat crow in front of Pam, it is not a simple task.

Then I turned right around yesterday morning and told everyone I talked with that John Kerry would not concede the election -- that he would carry America through the same turmoil it went through four years ago.

Just look at the guy's track record and his flip flops. No way was he going to give in until the bitter end.

Then I turned on the radio and was greeted by the announcement that he would make his concession speech from Boston at 1 p.m. eastern time.

A postponement of one hour gave me a brief flicker of hope - but when that deadline arrived there was Kerry at center stage, admitting his defeat at the polls.

Two wrongs in one day are a brutal blow to my ego.

Just goes to show the truth in the statement that it is hard to be humble.

But being wrong makes it a lot easier.