Yep, I admit it. I’m a perfectionist. Clearly far from perfect but known to obsess over the small stuff. Lately, in all of my blogging bliss, my nemesis, Little Miss Perfect, has reared her superior well-coiffed head. She loves to point out when I make a tiny little mistake, and then she taunts me for hours, sometimes days.
And I’m still trying to recover from missing the word “breathe” in the third grade spelling bee. I mean, who knew it had an “e” on the end?
Little Miss Perfect came for a visit a couple of weeks ago, after I published a story to this blog. She whispered in my ear, “Hey. Guess what? You used that word incorrectly.” Everything shifted to slow motion.
“Noooooooooooo!!!!” I shouted at the computer as I tried to reach out into cyberspace and yank the words back into the drafts folder. Too late. My faux paux was already out there, resting in your feed readers and sitting happily in your inboxes. It made my eyes twitch. I started to get all splotchy.
Finally, I mustered up my courage and told Little Miss Perfect to take a hike. Then, I corrected the mistake and hit “update post.”
Big deal? No. But it sure felt like one.
So, I’ve officially had enough of her. I have decided to beat LMP at her own game. First, I’m going to ask you to give me some grace when my brain short-circuits and I make a (gasp!) mistake. Which, I’m sure you already have. I’m also going to take away her power by sharing my top three embarrassing moments. Believe me, there are many, many more, but I’m going to do us all a favor and stop at three. So here we go:
Angie’s Top 3 Embarrassing Moments:
Number 3- the time when I was 12 and a boy was coming at me, ready to kiss me on the lips. We had an audience and I freaked out. So I tried to stall him by asking how he was going to kiss me. Needless to say, he didn’t kiss me at all, and everyone (except me) cracked up laughing. It took two years for kids to stop saying, “Hey, Angie! French or American?”
Number 2- I’m a television news reporter, fresh out of college, on one my first big stories. I interviewed a woman named Pat about her father, who had been killed in the Oklahoma City bombing. Problem was, her name wasn’t Pat. It was Sue.
Whoops.
It only took a few seconds for the phones to start ringing. Sue’s friends weren’t too happy that I had decided to give her a new name. And neither were the anchors who had to go back on the air and make the correction.
Number 1- A couple of years later, I’m covering a forest fire. I’m wearing protective clothing and a huge hat (imagine Smokey the Bear with a chin-length blonde bob) and interviewing a fire official.
Live. On the air.
Fire official: “The fire is still burning, but it is contained. We’re asking people to avoid the area.”
Me: “So you’re saying we’re not out of the woods, yet?”
WE’RE NOT OUT OF THE WOODS YET?
Yes, friends. I really said that.
But it gets better. I turn to the camera and say, “Bill and Debi, fire officials say this blaze is no accident. They have evidence to support it was indeed started by a human.”
A human? Oh, really? Because for a second there I thought I saw a crazy raccoon running around with a book of matches and a can of lighter fluid. My co-workers and boss had big fun picking on me after that.
But I’m still standing and I managed to escape my broadcasting career with credibility. And I’m no longer terrified of being kissed. French or American. So there.
So tell me, are you a perfectionist? Does it ever hold you back? How do you squash your Little Miss (or Mr.) Perfect? I’d love to hear your stories and insights.
ps- what’s really embarrassing is the fact that I originally misspelled TWO words in the title. Note to self: spellcheck ain’t so perfect either. 
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Angie, you are too funny!!! Take heart, we’ve all had these ” wish I could take back” moments. While mortifying at the time, they do help us grow. If only there was a less painful way!!! I’ll never forget my first experience with LMP. I was 11, in 6th grade, when my best friend came up to me. She was the “go-between” for a boy who liked me. She looked at me & asked ” John( not his real name) wants to know if you want to go with him?” Now, having a brother, I was never boy crazy. They didn’t seem all that fascinating to me, as they did to all the other girls. Boys just weren’t that big of a mystery, being around Trey & his friends my whole life. So with the witlessness of an eleven year old, I asked the question that would haunt me to this day, ” Go where?” My boy crazy friend just stared at me. She went on to explain. Needless to say, John found another girl. Even though I only liked him as a friend, I was crushed. And everyone knew what had happened, the other girl became spiteful being second choice. The rest of the year, I was the clueless, boyfriendless dummy.I’d find maps in my locker, desk, etc.”Go where?”, LMP never let me forget it!! I still wonder how I could have been so naive,LOL. Oh well, you live & learn. I think everyone has that part of them that wants to be perfect, even if we can never truly acheive perfection. The positive of LMP is that she keeps us trying!!!( and gives us something to laugh about years later!)
Angie…. I feel ya! I am also a perfectionist and have had quite a few embarrassing moments. Here are a few:
I invited my long-time elementary school crush to my first coed birthday party when I turned 13. The minute he arrived I started acting like a bumbling idiot. I sat on the arm of the couch next to a friend, in effort to calm my racing heart and shaking hands. Not a second passed before I lost my balance and ended up on the floor with my feet in the air, underwear showing, dress up to my waist.
Another proud moment came years later, during an awards ceremony in graduate school. I went up on stage to receive a research fellowship award, shook hands with several members of the upper echelon of the college of graduate studies. At the end of the line you were to shake hands and simultaneously receive your award while having your picture taken with the Dean. Everything went off without a hitch…. that is until I received the picture in the campus mail (one of several copies kept by the college). Along with a great big, proud smile, I was sporting a button down shirt that had spread wide open at the bra area during the vigorous handshake with the Dean. Luckily, we were both looking at the camera.
I loved this Angie! Thanks for the reminder to not take ourselves so seriously!
you nailed it! i hate those ooops moments and they come too often!
Angie,
I am sitting at my computer checking email feeling a little blah today and I click on your website. I am reading this and I just starting laughing out loud without anybody here except me and God! So funny, I actually remember the one with the the fire when you said “so you’re saying we’re not out of the woods yet?” I remember thinking that I had just heard it wrong, I guess not! LOL Girl, we all have those moments and we just have to laugh at ourselves. Thanks for making me laugh out loud today, I needed that!! I love you very much!! Aunt Carolyn
I like this post. I can relate to your: Nooooooooooo!!!!!!! I had one yesterday when a story I wrote went online and I realized I’d used the expression “was founded” in it, twice. Once was bad enough, but, TWICE?? Anyway, no one else seemed to have a problem with it, but I had a meltdown panic attack, for about half an hour, and recurring throughout the evening. (Today I still feel queasy.) Anyway. This kind of thing happens to me all the time. It will probably happen after I press this “submit comment” button….
So I’m trying to get LMP to take a hike too! I think life would certainly be more pleasant without her.
i love news bloopers. thanks for making me laugh really hard tonight. hilarous!
Angie~I’m reading this ONE YEAR later than you published it but the timing couldn’t be more PERFECT! THANKS!!! I’m glad that I’ve connected to you through your blog. I am thoroughly enjoying them! Keep up the inspiring words and great spirit and attitude. You put a smile on my face today reading this and relating…all too well. Take care! – Karla (Boswell) from Alpha Delta Pi in case you don’t remember me : )
Those are so funny!! Thanks for sharing, Angie. That took guts.
I kept thinking of Bridget Jones – remember when she slid down that fireman’s pole & her skirt rode up? LOL!
Thanks, Abby. It was liberating to write. I still laugh when I read that post. Oh– and to be in the same category as Bridget Jones– what an honor. lol