We all make mistakes. Some of us make many. I make at least one mistake each day just to stay humble and remind myself that even life’s flaws can be beautiful.
Just kidding, I don’t have to plan for mess-ups—they just come to me naturally. Maybe you make mistakes, too. Just small ones like leaving the house half an hour late because you thought you’d experiment with the “smoke eye” look for the first time and then you miss the streetcar and your boss mistrusts you forever because you’re late and also look like you’ve been in a bar fight. Other times mistakes are a bit more serious: maybe you got a little too drunk on NYE and decided to sing about your partner’s personality flaws to the tune of Les Mis‘s “I Dreamed a Dream” at four in the morning until your neighbours banged on the roof to make you stop. Oops.
If you made a mistake this month, I want to hear about it. It’ll cheer us both up: you can win some great prizes, and I won’t feel like the only dummy in Toronto! Leave your story as a comment below and you could win a SDTC ”Gurl, Feel Better About Your Life” gifty! It’s time to complain about something you did wrong and win a prize for it. In exchange for your honesty, I will also share a mistake of the month. Great.
Choosing just one mistake from December was difficult as all of the holiday cheer had me buzzing in a whacky, overly emotional way, but I’ve got it narrowed down to a general, befitting theme: gifting.
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Boyfriend’s birthday: We said, “No gifts,” this year, so I had to buy something last-minute because what is a BDay without a BDGift? After a few hours of pondering I decided to buy him a record that, OH WOW, he already owned. Even worse, I was WITH HIM when he bought it not but a few months ago. He was nice about it, but the birthday was blown. Also I kind of whined about feeling bad until it got weird.
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In-law gifts: Following the “no gift” rule, we went off to Montreal to visit my partner’s sister, brother, and his girlfriend empty-handed just before Christmas. I think the “no gift” rule is a trap for everyone. Of course they had tonnes of gifts for us. To open in front of them. And of course they are wonderful people who didn’t care that we literally gave them nothing. And of course I kept muttering about how they were way too generous and that we were so sorry not to have brought anything, making it more and more awkward until finally they said, “Oh, okay, we don’t have to do gifts next year, sorry.” Making people apologize for giving you presents Lisa, great job.
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Christmas day: My dad bought me a bright orange purse from Roots and instead of saying, “Thank you, Dad!” like a normal, grateful child-woman, I said, “OH, WOW, THAT’S SO BRIGHT AND NOT REALLY ME, HEY?” like a big ol’ dill-weed. Then I came back from Boxing Day shopping with a fluorescent top from Forever21. It only cost four dollars but also maybe my dignity?
So WHOOPS, there goes December! What goofs did you make? Leave a comment below or tweet us your December mistake—there might be a prize in it for you! And at the very least you can let it all go…and just breathe. For really real though, everybody messes up, and unless you come to terms with your mistakes, they’re just going to weigh you down until you drown in guilt, debt, or anxiety. HERE’S TO BETTER MISTAKES IN 2013!
~ Lisa Amerongen
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My mistake has to do with my need to lie when I travel. My friend and I were in New York recently. We were out and ready to meet some hot guys. I decided that my "cover" story was that I was an artist, one who did found art. I had it all planned. The first guys we talked to I managed to work it in that I was an artist. The guy was like, "wow. Where do you show your stuff?" I of course, knowing nothing about art managed to mumble something abou a gallery in Yorkville. He, of course then proceeds to tell me he has a gallery in Toronto, lives in Mississauga and would love to see my stuff. End of story...I am not an artist...just a BIG loser...who lies. I should change my name to Pinochio.
My December mistake of the month can be summed up as "parking on Adelaide in the club district past last call". The outcome involved a cab trip to the 'burbs and a lot of cash being forked out to get my sorry ass home. Being someone who had - until then - successfully avoided the heart of the club district all her life, I was a club district parking virgin (I say sheepishly trying to save a bit of face). Until my partner and his record label were asked to co-host a night at a club there. Pulling into a spot on Adelaide, my far-more-wise partner points to the parking lot across the street and says I should park there. I briefly check the sign and say "no, no, we're good." Being an idiot who doesn't actually read, I missed the bottom sign that says "no parking 2-6 AM." Come 3 AM we return to where the car should be to find nothing. After great difficulty hailing a cab, I get to spend 40 bucks for a ride up to an industrial park at Eglinton/DVP to fork over more than 200 clams to get my car back and then shell out for the $60 ticket. I'm an idiot. Next time, I'll park in the damn lot.
@leahmmstephenson Hey hey, sorry to get back to you so late, but we've picked a winner... and you're it! A good night out ruined?? Spending money you don't want to spend?? Blergh.
If you email your home address to jen@shedoesthecity.com she'll send you a SDTC RANDOM BEAUTY GIFT BAG! Hope January treated you better!
@LisaAmerongen YAY! Thanks!
I was subletting an apartment in Montreal with a gas oven, which I became convinced was going to leak carbon monoxide and murder me in my sleep. One day, I was working from home, and when I turned the oven on to heat up my lunch, there was this bizarre burning rubber smell. I called my landlord in a panic, and he summoned the cranky handyman to investigate the problem. He pulled the stove out from the wall, unscrewed some things, and then held up the pot I had used to heat up my lunch. One of the rubber handles had burned off. "Here's your problem," he said, giving me the biggest, most deserved dumb-eyes ever.
Reconnected with a good guy friend after a break up. (He's one-in-a-million good.) Got close to said guy friend. Got drunk with said guy friend and proceeded to call him by my ex's name. As soon as I realized I was saying the wrong name, I drunkenly decided the best thing to do was to keep saying it, but even more slowly. What? He laughed it off, but we haven't seen each other since. I tried to rekindle things with my ex right around that time (guess that's why he was top of mind), only to have it blow up horribly. (That was mistake number 2). Just recently, my once-great guy friend started dating a girl with two first names. I bet they do all of the fun things together that we used to do. Can't be mad though. I had my chance.
It's only 3 days into the New Year and I already goofed up HUGE.
My boyfriend and I rent a house with oil heat, which is the dumbest form of heating if you live in Canada. Part of having oil heat, means you have to watch the gauge and call for a fill up when it gets low. I decided that we could call for a fill when we got back from our mini-vacation to the city.
Needless to say, it had run out already.
So, Sunday night and $250 later, we have heat. HOORAY! Or so you would think.
Boyfriend thought I called for a fill, I thought he called. (Nobody called) Come Wednesday evening, the heat is out again!
This story ends with me trucking to the gas station with two gas cans and buying oil then digging through knee deep snow to fill my tank. Needless to say, I won't forget to call again.