laugh at yourself

I am not the most graceful person and I often find myself doing things and then quickly looking around to make sure no one saw what I just did. I wish that I wasn't so obsessed with how others perceive me, but it's something that I'm working on.

A few weeks ago I was getting coffee early on Sunday morning. I'm super obsessed with Dunkin Donut's coffee to which I add their blueberry syrup. It is soooooo good. I wish that I didn't like it so much especially because the amount of cream and sugar I like in it is not waist friendly. I used to just get a cream and sugar coffee palooza once a week, but there happens to be a DD on UIC's campus. It's probably a good thing that I run late a lot so I don't have time to stop. Hey - a different flaw working for me! (For those of you that know me well, you know that I have time management issues which are inherited from my mother.) Back to my story - it was very early on Sunday morning, about 6:30, and I had just taken the dog out and decided to get coffee. The DD is a couple miles away so we drove. Their parking lot is super tiny and hard to get in and out of. I managed to find a spot right in front of the store. It was a quick in and out in less than 5, but by the time I get back in my car there are at least 3 other cars trying to park. A BIG white van is waiting for my spot. There was no one behind me I thought it would be easier to just back-up, let the van park and then try to get out of the parking lot.

Bad idea. I gunned it in reverse and was quickly stopped by the cement pole near the door of the store. I was slightly shocked at first, then terrified I had hit someone or another car. Mortification quickly seeped in. The guy in the van had this look of horror on his face, naturally I felt I had to say something. I rolled down my window and told him it was still really early and I hadn't had my coffee yet. Then I got my ass out of there as fast as I could. The entire drive home all I could do was shake my head and laugh. When I was able to park and check out the damage I couldn't believe how lucky I was, just some of the paint was scratched off with no dent. It would have been better if it never happened, but that's not the way life always works. I was so happy that no one got hurt and the damage wasn't too severe and it's nothing that can't be fixed.

When I think about these kinds of things I just have to laugh at myself. It doesn't always happen right away, some "dummie" things need more time. If you can't laugh at yourself then life is too serious.

When was the last dumb thing you did that made you laugh at yourself? Didn't it make you feel better?