The secret to life is to be embarrassed and enjoy it…

Do you have a cringe moment that you keep replaying in your mind? Was it personal or one you witnessed? Do you try to change the event in your mind or try to push it away?

Well, I have quite a few of these moments that constantly come back to haunt me. Nothing scary or anything, in fact they’re quite funny but embarrassing, nonetheless. Like the time I ran up to a float during a Mardi Gras parade and fell flat on my butt. Everyone around me, including the riders on the float, were laughing at me. And I didn’t get not one measly bead lol. Or when I left my house one morning for work and made a pit stop at the DMV to renew my license. I made it all the way through the process and was exiting the building when a lady stopped and told me I was wearing two different shoes.

One of my most cringe moments involved Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot and a boat load of strangers. I’m only sharing this because the story is innocent and has a happy ending. So, I received passes to an all-white party Mona Scott was hosting on the Creole Queen in NOLA. First off, I didn’t have anything white at the time, so I wore cream. Secondly, I don’t know I came upon these passes because the party was basically for her family and friends. Nevertheless, I was super excited because Busta, Missy and Full Force were there. At the time Busta was one of my favorite artists and I mustered up the courage to approach him for a pic and convo. I walked to the back of the boat where he was sitting along with his wife and Missy. It was obviously a private area from the stares I received as I walked back to where he was seated. He was talking to this guy, agent maybe, and I stood there waiting for him to acknowledge me while his wife was shooting daggers in my direction. I waited for a couple of minutes then left after pure embarrassment. I would have jumped off the boat and swam to shore if we weren’t on the Mississippi River lol. When we were disembarking the boat after the party, Busta actually approached me, and we took a picture together. You see, a happy ending 😊

My Busta moment was memorable, but the events beforehand made the whole experience embarrassing. I thought about how I can change this memory or get rid of it, so I consulted good ole Google for advice. Unfortunately, our minds are a huge memory bank, and you can never truly escape memories, so it’s best to grant yourself some grace. Self-compassion allows you to acknowledge that yeah, I’m a goof ball who makes mistakes- and everyone makes mistakes. Also making light of your moment and sharing with others, like I just did, changes the narrative and turns your cringe moment to possibly a funny story where you can enjoy the laughter.

Y’all may laugh at my Busta moment now but it would soon be forgotten, just like the people at the party long forgot about me. I’m a big deal, but I’m not a big deal, if you know what I mean. And I’m self-tormenting myself with these memories and not anyone else. I realize through writing this post that it was pretty cool being at a party with some of my favorite artists and that I had the guts to approach him. And I’m ending on that note…