Open Thread Update: Stupid Life Lessons

Last time I asked you all for embarrassing moments that taught us a lesson.  And according to many of you, a lot of those moments could have inspired a popular comedy film called….

Dude, Where’s my Car?

Readers like Lucy,  Joe, Kim and Sally share their frustrations about not remembering where they parked their cars in those big, often multi-story parking lots…

Once a friend and I went to Atlantic City parked the car in the garage at the casino, and went inside to gamble for a few hours. Later when we went to leave, neither of us could remember on which floor of the garage we parked!! We both knew exactly which spot/location on the floor but not the floor number… we stopped at each floor walked to the spot and checked on every floor before finding the car on the 6th floor!

-Joe

But Kim seems to have hit on a smart solution.

My friend and I went to the county fair every year. One year we took her 8 year old son with us. We always went in the afternoon until dark. This is in a very rural area and the majority of parking was in a field of rolling hills and large oak trees. After looking for 45 minutes near every tree we could see in the dark, we had to walk back to the fair entrance and have a Sheriff drive us around in a golf cart to find my friends car.

No wonder it inspired a Seinfeld episode.

Killer Shoes

Some of these lessons are pretty much life-changing.  We almost lost Anne, who learned a valuable lesson…

I was getting ready to take my grandkids to school. I was upstairs, put on my shoes but didn’t tie them because I was going to take them off downstairs and put on my outside shoes. You guessed it. I tripped on the laces and took a tumble down the stairs. I still managed to drive the kids to school but the longer the day went on, the more in pain I was. My grandkids were really good about it and took care of me instead of me taking care of them. Learned a valuable lesson the hard way.

Glad there was a happy ending, Anne, but watch out for falls! Several readers advocated for canes – they can be lifesavers!

Readers Suzanne and Patricia shared a common issue of forgetting where we put things. And finally to Reader Anna, who reached out to a neighbor only to be very nastily turned away, readers like Cimone offered consolation and encouragement.

Keep trying. I would appreciate someone checking on me and wanting to chat. My neighbor and I became good friends after I invited her for a glass of wine on our porch (duplex).

It’s not a stupid move to reach out to a neighbor if it seems safe. Please keep trying to connect with others. Try joining Senior Planet Community and joining an affinity group that matches your interests. Or try a Senior Planet discussion group.

We’ll leave the comments open for a while so feel free to add your experiences – and see you next time!

ORIGINAL TEXT

Everyone talks about the big life lessons, and everyone really knows what they are: don’t smoke, save money, exercise, blahblahblah. What about the smaller life lessons – the dumb mistakes that happen because we aren’t thinking or are careless or just have a one in a million streak of bad timing or bad luck?

Most of these happen when we are kids.  I remember having to go somewhere as a high schooler and in the elevator I realized my slip and pantyhose just didn’t feel right. I picked up my skirt and gave it a good yank. And realized: they have cameras.

But you don’t have to be a kid to have a Stupid Life Lesson experience. Here are some of mine:

Stupid Life Lesson #1

Several years ago, I had just finished a workout at my gym.  All flushed and sweaty, I unlocked my locker, grabbed my towel and locked it.  And realized one second later that I left my keys in the locker.

Luckily the attendant was there and after my shower she went upstairs to get the Jaws of Life (for lockers anyway).  After that, I either used combination locks or made sure I locked my locker only while I was looking at the locker keys in my hand first.

Stupid Life Lesson #2

Never ever carry two very heavy bags bandolier style.

I was carrying my luggage for a two week trip to Hawaii and draped the straps on either side of my neck.  On the escalator, I suddenly began to feel very drowsy.  I closed my eyes for a minute and next minute I was lying on the floor of the airport, looking up at a circle of worried faces asking my name and who was the president.

Apparently the bags were heavy enough to stem the flow of blood from my carotid arteries to my brain and I passed out.  I’ve packed a lot lighter since then and use a roller suitcase.

YOUR TURN

Was it confusing dish detergent with dishwasher detergent?  Leaving something on the roof of your car? What dumb mistakes have you made that taught you how to avoid a mess, or greased the skids of life? Share yours in the comments!

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send  Open Thread suggestions to editor@seniorplanet.org.