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f ROM THE EDITOR Mistakes are as certain as death and taxes W e've known since we were small that there are two things in life we can count on: death and taxes. But there's something else just as certain, but we don't talk about it as much. It's that we all have and will make mistakes. It's inevitable. If you think you are an exception, forget it, because you will make a mistake , guaranteed. There are different degrees of mistakes , from talking about your coworker before finding out he 's standing behind you, to forgetting to do something vitally important. And just as there are numerous types of mistakes, there are also different ways of handling those mistakes . Some ways are obviously better than others. Do you remember the last time something went wrong and you knew all too well that it was your fault? What did you do? Was it fairly easy to blame someone else? After all, if someone else would have reminded me, not left work early, or not left more work on top of what I was doing, the mistake wouldn't have happened. Of course , you know in your heart of hearts that it wasn't their fault . But if you could just convince those around you, you'd be off the hook. Boy, it is really easy to blame someone else. Just think, there are millions of people in the world. But that's a little extreme. There are at least a handful of people you work or live with. They 're all perfect scapegoats . I remember a recent incident when I blamed my son for losing my keys . When I realized I'd made a mistake blaming him, it wasn't very easy to admit I'd made a mistake. And that's the point I'm coming to . Once we realize we 've made a PLAY METER 10 APRIL 1992 mistake , we sometimes find it too difficult to get those two little words' 'I'm sorry"-out of our repentant mouths. Why is that? Maybe it's the times. We 're all looking for perfection in our health, bodies, kids , spouses, jobs, etc. Admitting to mistakes is like confessing that we aren't perfect, even though everyone else already knows it anyway. I believe that no one can be as mad at us as we can be at ourselves. Even the smallest mistakes can send us reeling with guilt and anger- at ourselves. Surely this is the major reason for not wanting to own up to our mistakes. Our industry is unique in some ways because it's small and we deal with many of the same people on a regular basis. There are also unique opportunities to make mistakes. A manufacturer comes out with a game that he feels will revolutionize the industry. It bombs and the company realizes it made a mistake. What an opportunity to handle a situation. They can blame operators (they aren 't smart enough to know a good game when they see itl, blame distributors (they didn't try hard enough to convince their customers how good it was), or blame the players (what do they know anyway?). Although rare , I 've seen manufacturers admit a game wasn't up to snuff and then offer a replacement kit to those that bought the original game. Admitting their mistake and then doing something about it gives them a lot of credibility. I'd feel pretty confident about dealing with them in the future . In our end of the business-a trade publication- you can be sure that there will be times we make mistakes. Perhaps it's spelling someone's name wrong, having a typo in an ad, or publishing the wrong date for an event. We'll admit our mistake and try to make up for it; it's all we can do . But we all run across that horse's hindquarters that can't let it go. They will hold a mistake against you forever. No matter what you do, no matter how sorry you are, they will not let it go. If you can honestly say that you have done all you can to make up for your mistake against them, forget it. You can hope for the day that they make a mistake and are treated as unfairly . Don't worry, it will happen. Last month, Reader's Digest ran an article, "When You've Done Wrong" by Mary Murray. I wish I could reprint the entire article , but since that's impossible, here's a few pointers mentioned for handling the inevitable mistake: air the details because it may take more than a quick apology; show your true feelings and don't be too reserved in your feelings; don't look for excuses like blaming someone else; make restitution if necessary; and give a nod to fate and forgive yourself. But the most important, positive aspect of handling mistakes, according to the article, is that it will make you stronger. Ms. Murray quoted William Shakespeare from "Measure for Measure": "They say the best men are molded out of faults , and for the most, become much more the better for being a little bad." Valerie Cognevich Editor