In the TV show, for instance, the hero had spent a half-hour or so coming up with a list of people he’d offended or hurt.

But that was fiction. In real life, coming up with a list of offenses would take a lot of work. So at quitting time, he went to his boss and asked for the rest of the week off.

The chunky, disheveled manager swung back and forth slowly in his old office chair. He clearly wasn’t happy with the idea. But Jamie was determined to stick to his plan, so he added, “I’m talking without pay, Mr. Logan.”

“Without…” The boss was working to get his head around this idea.

“Unpaid leave.”

The words were sinking in, but Logan still seemed uncertain, maybe wondering if Jamie was scheming-hoping the boss would say, Naw, it’s okay, I’ll pay you anyway.

Jamie said sincerely, “I mean it, Mr. Logan, really. Something personal’s come up and I really need the time.”

“You sick?”

“No. But there’re a few people need my help.”

“Yeah, you doing good deeds?” Logan laughed.

“Something like that.”

“Well, you find somebody to cover for you, yeah, then I guess it’s all right.”

“Thanks, Mr. Logan. I appreciate it. I really do.”

As he left he glanced back and noticed his boss studying him with a perplexed smile-as if he was looking at a brand-new Jamie Feldon.

Returning home that night, Jamie called around until he found a temp worker who was familiar with the company. He arranged for the man to start the next morning as a replacement.

On Tuesday, Jamie woke early, showered, dressed, and ate a bowl of cereal with low-fat milk. Then he cleaned his kitchen table off and went to work. A pad of yellow paper in front of him, he began the list. It wasn’t easy, compiling all the bad things in your life. Some were hard to deal with-he felt so much shame about them. Some, he wasn’t sure if they’d actually occurred. Were they figments of his imagination, dreams, a result of the booze?