Who's to Blame?
Illustration★★★A young boy became excessively fearful during the great New York blackout of 1977. When his parents questioned him, he confessed that at the exact moment the lights went out he had kicked a powerline pole. As darkness engulfed the city, he thought he was to blame and would be punished.
Dennis De Haan, Our Daily Bread, Special Edition, Day 65.
The point
A boy who kicked a power pole during the 1977 New York blackout wrongly believed his small act had caused the citywide darkness, picturing how misplaced guilt distorts our sense of responsibility.
Audience
ChildrenAdults
Tone
Gentle · Humorous
To tell aloud
under a minute · 61 words