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It's Never Too Late By Marilyn Manning Several years ago, while attending a communications course, I experienced a most unusual process. Theinstructorasked us to list anything in our past that we felt ashamed of, guilty about, regretted, or incomplete about. The next week he invited participants to read their lists aloud. This seemed like a very private process, but there's always some brave soul in the crowd who will volunteer. As people read their lists, mine grew longer. After three weeks, I had 101 items on my list. The instructor then suggested that we find ways to make amends, apologize to people, or take some action to right anywrongdoing. I was seriously wondering how this could ever improve my communications, having visions ofalienatingjust about everyone from my life. instructor n. 教师 wrongdoing n. 坏事、不道德行为 alienate v. 疏远 The next week, the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: "While making my list, I remembered an incident from high school. I grew up in a small town in Iowa. There was asheriffin town that none of us kids liked. One night, my twobuddiesand I decided to play a trick on Sheriff Brown. After drinking a few beers, we found a can of red paint, climbed the tall water tank in the middle of town, and wrote, on the tank, in bright red letters: Sheriff Brown is ans.o.b.The next day, the town arose to see our glorious sign. Within two hours, Sheriff Brown had my two pals and me in his office. My friends confessed and I lied, denying the truth. No one ever found out. | 
