Can You Laugh at Yourself? (Here’s My Most Embarrassing Moment!)
In honor of National Tell a Story Day I'm sharing this painfully funny incident.
Laughter is good medicine. When I realized it was National Tell a Story Day, I figured I’d share a funny one, even if it meant telling on myself.
With so much happening around us—government reforms, exposed treachery, debates over religious freedoms, and border policies—it feels like we’re all caught in a whirlwind. Over 80 million of us voted for change, but the drama persists. Amidst the chaos, finding moments to laugh can feel like a breath of fresh air.
Let’s lighten the mood and share a chuckle or two to navigate through these wild times together!
Can you laugh at yourself? Is there a self-deprecating story that you can share to give us all a chuckle? I’ll go first. When I think about the embarrassing things that have happened to me, the first thing that comes to mind is the light post in Cayucos, California, with my name on it.
Tommy and I had taken a road trip along the coast to celebrate our fifth wedding anniversary. We stopped in the little beach town for lunch. We had enjoyed a beverage, maybe two, at the Old Cayucos Tavern. It is a historic place built in 1906, and if you visit Cayucos, it’s a must-see. However, they don’t serve food.
We ventured across the street to a quaint-looking little restaurant. I don't know what I was gawking at behind me, but when I spun back around —
WHAM!
Full speed. Full forehead. Full-on humiliation.
And not into one of those cute little poles either — no, I found the industrial-size, foot-wide metal monster... with my FACE.
The thing reverberated like a gong. I’m pretty sure the whole town heard it.
This post was right in front of the restaurant’s HUGE picture window. I was sure that everyone in the building heard the thump of my head on the pole and was now looking at me.
Before Tommy could even ask, “Are you okay?” I hissed, “Just keep walking!” I didn’t want to stop and draw any more attention to myself than I already had.
To say that I was mortified would be an understatement. I can't remember if we ate there or if I made Tommy drag me somewhere else. I do remember sitting across from him, pounding headache, lump forming between my eyebrows... and watching him trying not to laugh.
I pictured what I must've looked like — WHAM! — forehead-first into that metal monster.
We both burst out laughing.
Even now, 26 years later, anytime one of us almost runs into something, we wonder if that light pole still has my forehead print on it.
Moral of the story?
If you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re missing out on the best medicine.
💬 Your turn!
Got a forehead-meets-pole moment (or something just as embarrassing)?
Don’t leave me hanging — share your story in the comments!
Let’s stack up the laughs and remind each other that life’s a lot more fun when we don’t take ourselves too seriously. 😂
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