Just say "oopsies" and get on with things
January 26th, 2007 RachelMy mom has this favorite story about her catching me in the middle of applying almost as much makeup as what spackled on for the Billboard Music Awards.
“Whatcha doin, Rachel…?”
“Noooooothing….”
“You’re not using mommy’s makeup…are you?”
“Noooooooo….”
“Oh really?”
“No, mommy…never…”
It’s amazing how easy it is to fake yourself out, whether you’re five years old, fifty or somewhere in between. Caught red handed, caught in a lie, caught unprepared…why does fessing up seem incomprehensible sometimes?
We all make mistakes. I’m lucky that I’ve been surrounded by family that’s made this abundantly clear and stood by this fact, for better or for worse. Be honest, be up front, and take responsibility when you’ve screwed up…they may still have wanted to freak out, but acting like an adult at least minimizes the repercussions for youthful stupidity.
But I’ve come to the conclusion that there’s a far more valuable reason for why being honest with people, and most importantly yourself, is really and truly the best policy. One day it’s not just about avoiding a good grounding or detention. All of a sudden, a mistake has repercussions that have more of a ripple effect around you than a direct effect on yourself. The company you work for, the family you support…Toto, I don’t think we’re in adolescence anymore.
At that moment, if you start concocting all the reasons why things aren’t your fault, then you could be missing out on some clever thinking to actually save things…or at least make them a teensy bit better. It may not be much, but it might be enough…and isn’t that better than wasting time convincing yourself that nothing needs to be fixed in the first place?
We all make mistakes…repeat after me…we all make mistakes.
