Oops, I did it again...

Okay, I've never really done it before, but the Brittany Spears reference was too much to pass up. I mistakenly showed up for a shift at my Carlingwood Mall kiosk 24 hours early. >|*-D

But it got me thinking about honest mistakes and what to do when you find you've made one.

First, you have to allow for the possibility you might be in the wrong! In my case, all we all had to do is consult the schedule! It seems I had transposed a day because there are times it seems I am unable to read English. (I'd still rather be early than late!)

Second, you need to admit your mistake, first to yourself, and then to anyone else involved. If you don't you look very dumb. This was easy to do for me, especially after the last 7 days. (See entry for last Thursday.)

Third, you need to be gracious (especially if you get a bit of a ribbing). Again, easy in this case, as the lady who actually had the shift is a friend and colleague I value.

Finally, have a plan B to occupy your time. Depending on the actual booboo, that can take different forms, but it helps to be prepared for the eventuality you will err. In my case, again, very easy - I wrote this blog entry.

So what would have happened if I would have been an idiot and bullied my way into a shift? In the first case, I would have had egg on my face, because the schedule is recorded for all to see. This is what we learned in our debates in high school and university as an indefensible position. The more you dig in, the more stupid you appear.

In the second case, to not admit the mistake to myself would have been pointless and filled with that bad kind of pride that people get beat up over. To not admit my mistake to the other person involved would have been idiotic - again, the schedule is written down. Although it is easy to explain the mistake, that doesn't make it right to push other around because I couldn't read.

Third, if I had not been gracious, what kind of friend and colleague would I be? The avoided and talked-about-behind-my-back kind. You might say that might be unjustified, and you might even be right, but that's human nature according to my observations over about 30 years. I prefer to remain on speaking terms with folks if I at all can.

Finally, if I had no plan B, I might have felt slighted, put out, or otherwise hard done by. As it was, I had been wondering what the lesson I would learn today would be, and now I had the chance to solidify it by writing it down, and hopefully you found it encouraging or at least useful for yourself, which is my goal with this blog.

In the words of one of my heroes, thanks for watching, and keep your stick on the ice.

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"You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
-John 8:32 (NASB)

Location:Carling Ave, Ottawa, Canada