Humility and kids don’t exactly go together like peanut butter and jelly. That goes double when teens are involved. Perhaps, that’s why the video of a Texas high school student making a very public apology to a plane full of passengers has gone viral overnight.
In case you’ve been living under a rock or you’re too busy dealing with your own self-absorbed offspring, you can check out the video clip here.
Thanks to a couple of ingenious high school lacrosse coaches, “Lone Star State” teen Mac Breedlove was taught a very public lesson in humility and shown why it’s never a good idea to ignore the manners your mama taught you.
Earlier this month, Breedlove and the rest of his lacrosse team were traveling to a tournament on a packed Southwest Airlines flight when the teen decided it would be cool, yo, to cut in line during the boarding process.
Just when the teen thought he had gotten away with his duplicitous act, he was called to the front of the plane filled with more than 100 strangers, handed the airline’s PA system, and forced to read the following apology drafted by his coaches:
“My fellow travelers, today I address you with great remorse. During the boarding process, I took advantage of this airline’s kindness. While some of my teammates were called to the front of the line, I was not. And yet I cut in line. I hope you will all find it in your hearts to forgive me, for I am just a young man that thinks I’m smarter than I am. This is not the way my coaches, teammates, or parents expect me to behave, and for all of this, I apologize. Enjoy your flight, and remember to fly Southwest, because they let my coach do this to me.”
The video plainly illustrates Breedlove’s reluctance to make the apology.
And by reluctance I mean if the kid could have unlocked one of the plane’s emergency exits he would have likely jumped minus the inflatable slide.
Clearly, the teen’s apology didn’t come from the heart, but it came from his lips, and the consequences of his actions appear as though they registered in his head, so mission accomplished.
Kudos to Breedlove’s coaches for humbling the teen in an incredibly creative and effective way.
May it be a lesson to parents and teens alike.