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Melanie's Diary

Album: Gold Audio 10: Other Times, Other Places

Episode: 139

Lesson/Theme: Empathy; the folly of revenge.

Bible Verse: Deuteronomy 32:35

Characters: Eugene

Writer: Paul McCusker

Sound Designer: Bob Luttrell

Original Air Date: January 5, 1991

Last Air Date: July 11, 2008

Description:
Robyn is having trouble hanging on to her school work. First, she loses the text of a speech about highway safety. Then, she misplaces a report she and Jessie wrote about Huck Finn. Her father gives her a few pointers about organization and suggests that Robyn put each of her projects in different colored folders. But Mr. Jacobs has given the last several folders to Robyn's sister, Melanie. Robyn goes to Melanie's room to retrieve them. Once there, Robyn demands Melanie's last two folders and reads her private diary. Matters worsen when Robyn divulges the contents of what she read to Jessie and Eugene the next day at Whit's End. Melanie leaves, anguished and angry, vowing revenge against her big sister. And revenge is what Melanie pursues. First, Robyn and Jessie's report mysteriously disappears. Then, Eugene gets a love note written in Robyn's handwriting. Finally, Robyn rushes in to deliver her award-winning speech, only to discover that it has been replaced by her report on Huck Finn. She is utterly humiliated. This embarrassment causes her to think seriously about how she treated Melanie. Robyn feels so bad, she actually buys Melanie a real diary which makes Mel feel about two feet tall for playing all those pranks on Robyn. Both the Jacobs girls learn an important lesson about revenge, empathy and love.

Questions:
How else could Robyn have been better organized? Is revenge really "sweet" in the long run? Explain. What's the best way to handle someone who has hurt you?