We have all had moments of genius; moments where we were so damn smart it made us giggle like a child, ackwardly high five our closest neighbour or commision someone to erect a statue in our likeness-or is that just me?
You know, like the time we bypassed the telephone directory by hitting zero (or was it 9?) and instantly getting a real live person to talk to. Or that time we discovered we could fix that faulty internet connection by simply unplugging and plugging it back in again (after you discovered smacking it silly wasn’t working). Or that time in trivial pursuit when we were the only one who knew what arachibutyrophobia was. (If your genius has taken today off then see answer below.)
But we also have days where our genius is nowhere to be found. Days where you know that if aliens were looking for intelligent life to abduct and probe, you would not be selected. Days where your IQ should come with a sticker that says, “70% off”. Days where the family pet is the smartest one in the household and she knows it.
For a university educated dude, I have them more than I care to admit. There was…
- the time I offered to move a friends family vehicle and backed it straight into a fire hydrant ripping off the bumper causing $1200 damage.
- the time I washed my new black running shoes with my whites/soon to be blotchy grays.
- the time I locked my brother and then my dad (two weeks later) into my house when I went to work (I forgot-twice- that the deadbolt can’t be accessed from inside the house.)
- the time I locked my keys in the trunk of my car and had to wait two hours for road assistance to come and let me in and then I went and did it again the very next day.
- the time in Colombia where I got “robbed” of all my money because a pretend undercover cop told me he needed to check to see if my money was registered and-sigh-I believed him
- the time where I withdrew $80 from the ATM machine and walked away without taking my money. I did the same thing again two weeks later with the same amount. I learned my lesson-I no longer withdraw $80 for ATMs anymore.
- the time I submitted a resume only to realize I forgot to change the name in the template I was using. Unfortunately, Benjiro Hiromasa never did get that teaching job, but they were very impressed with his English skills.
- the time I had my $2800 laptop stolen out of my car because I left it on the passenger seat with the door unlocked and the window wide open.
- the time I left my house forgetting to remove my pimple cream…I looked like I was encased in a full facial cast
- the time I pulled off the highway to grab a few zzzz only to forget to turn my lights off thus draining my battery and stranding me in the middle of nowhere.
- the time I took the subway home from the movie only to realize I had actually driven there.
- the time I left my brand new running shoes I had just bought on the bus. I did get those back though. There is not much of a market for a mens size 2.5.
The reality is we have done some pretty stupid things in our life (maybe not as many stupid things as me though) and the truth is there are many more to come.
But here is the thing we need to remember. No one wakes up and says, “I’m going to do something really stupid today.” But you know what? We still do.
What is important to realize is that our really stupid mistakes were our best decisions we could make at that particular moment. Hindsight may tell us otherwise, but at that particular moment in time, that is the decision that seems best based on our experience to that point.
So chalk up that boneheaded move to experience knowing you won’t make that mistake again. I have and it has worked wonders. I don’t leave money in the ATM anymore. I’m no longer lock/trap people in my home. And I never leave home until I am sure my money has been registered.
So cut yourself some slack and quit beating yourself up. We all have moments of utter stupidity, but that just makes our moments of genius even more spectacular.
To an idea worth quitting,
Dean
ps…Did my pain make you snicker? Did it make you realize you are much smarter than I? Did it make you laugh at something you did in your past that was really stupid. If so, then my mission was accomplished. Your mission: Send this to someone you know could really use this today.
pss…Got a funny stupid story to share? Head over to the comment section and let us know.
psss…trivia answer: a fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.
