Billy Browne felt horrid about having to put painful drops into his cat Rufus’s ears. Rufus was not crazy about the situation either. He responded by running away from Billy. After the ear infection cleared up and the course of medicine was over, Billy apologized to Rufus by building him a cardboard box palace.
We have ZERO CRITICISM of this apology.
But maybe this isn’t so much an apology as an atonement. (See 4:22 for Rufus indicating that Browne’s act of expiation is suitable.) He’s not saying he’s sorry he did it, he’s saying he regrets that he had to do it. Because you know if Rufus gets another ear infection, Browne WILL DO IT AGAIN.
If he was really really sorry, wouldn’t he find a way to treat Rufus’s ear infections without grabbing him and putting drops in his ears, like maybe a simple automated cross-room eardrop squirt programmed with visual recognition of Rufus’s left (or right as the case may be) ear? How hard could that be for an ingenious fellow like Browne? Plus all the pet owners would want them, so he’d be rich, and probably send a few bucks our way for the helpful suggestion.
You are absolutely right. And now I realize we have to do a post on the difference between apology and atonement.
And perhaps Browne could fund the eardrop-squirtbot through sales of skinny jeans and hipster haircuts. (Not that I’m complaining.)