Not so Great Now, But Later…

My niece had a bad few moments yesterday afternoon that is primo material for a great story later. I am part of the phone tree for the alarm on my sister’s house and sometime before 3pm today my cell phone rang but I was in the middle of something so I let it go to voicemail. When I checked the phone later, I had a message from the alarm company that ended by telling me that the police had been called. Curious, all this time that I have been on the phone tree and this is the first time that they have called. (I couldn’t tell you what I am supposed to say to them… I think I have it written down somewhere.)

Anyway, my niece got home from school and set off the alarm and got to have an unpleasant conversation with a local police officer. I feel empathy for her embarrassment frustration and worry, she is that lovely age of 13 when almost everything is potential for embarrassment. I won’t mention yet that she will be able to tell this story for years.

I think back on some of my moments that still get laughs when I trot out the stories… There was my high school graduation when I was the only one out of 700 plus proud graduates who managed to catch the sleeve of my gown on the stair rail and I had to walk backwards up the steps, in high heels, to unhook myself. There was the time when I was dressed like a ghoul and I locked myself and my kids out of our house and car when we were trying to go to a Cub Scout Halloween party.

I have to laugh when I think about the time when I was dropping off my older son at preschool and accidentally locked my younger son in the car. He just kept smiling and waving at me when I tried to pantomime him unlocking his car seat and hitting the button to unlock the car doors. (I had a bad habit for several years of locking myself in or out of places.)

I’m not going to say that I don’t lose my cool when things go a bit haywire, but honestly having something go a bit off just makes better memories. I try to remind myself of this in the moment. To err is human, and makes for a fine story.