On Making Dumb Mistakes

 

Let's face it. We all make stupid mistakes. At least I do.  Some I wish I could do over, and some I wish I never even had the dumb idea to do in the first place...



Take for example, the time I double and triple pierced my ears. Why the heck did I do that? I don't even use those second and third holes anymore.

Or the time I had my ears re-pierced on top of my existing first piercings. Why? Because I thought the first holes were too high up and my earrings didn't sit quite right on my earlobes.  And you know what? I'm back to using those very first high piercings.  Dumb right?

I think about the time I applied to only one graduate school. One! Because that's the only school I wanted to attend. I would never do that now. If Buddy Roller told me he wanted to do that, I would make him apply to more than one school! Luckily I got in. Looking back, that was another pretty foolish decision. I chalk that up to being young and stupid.

And then I'm reminded about the time, back in grad school, when I drove home to Windsor, CT from Boston, MA in one of the worst blizzards I have ever seen. What usually took me under two hours turned into several hours of driving on the freeway while seeing many accidents, overturned cars in ditches and people stranded on the side of the highway. It was quite scary and, quite honestly, a pretty dumb decision. But thank God I made it home safely that night.

There are also those times when I've spoken my mind and ruined relationships. These days I'm learning to keep my mouth shut and keep my feelings to myself. It is far better to maintain relationships than start a conflict. You feel me?

There was also the falling for the more is better mentality. Where I used to focus my time, energy and resources on buying material things hoping to fill a void, only realizing that those things made me happy for a moment. I now realize that true happiness comes from within, being happy within my own skin, content with the person I am, and spending meaningful time and experiences with like-minded family and friends.

I know I've made countless dumb mistakes throughout my life.  And I probably still will.  But you know what? That's life! You live, and you learn. It's a progression. And this girl is still learning...